Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too have a major concern with the Social Assistance Act, especially with the clawbacks for benefit agreements, and also socio-economic agreements and land claim agreements.

We have obligations in land claim agreements. We have treaties that have been in place for over 100 years in the Territories. These agreements, for a lot of people, have a lot of significance. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we as a government seem to have a double-edged sword here.

On one hand, we are telling aboriginal groups, aboriginal organizations to negotiate, settle your land claims, get your agreements in place, allow for development to take place through socio-economic benefit agreements.

Then on the other hand, we are taking back the same benefits that we are telling them to go get to help their people thrive and take advantage of those developments.

Mr. Speaker, this act allows for exemptions to take place. There are two clauses -- one refers to treaty payments and another clause refers to the value of any goods received in accordance with the provisions of the Inuvialuit final agreement and any other land claim agreement.

I would like to see, is there a possibility of making an exemption to allow for those other types of agreements, similar to land claim agreements, such as the socio-economic benefit agreements that are being signed? Those are agreements between First Nations governments. First Nations governments have tax exempt status. They had the right to provide programs and services like this government here.

Why are we penalizing the same people they represent in their communities and in their regions for receiving benefits? Mr. Speaker, I for one have a real problem trying to understand this government. On one hand, we are talking to the First Nations governments on negotiating a Northern Accord to ensure that we receive royalties from Ottawa. Is that the next pot that we are going to be clawing back? Go out there and get the royalties to the Northwest Territories so this government can claw it back?

Is this the practice that we are putting in place, the precedents that we are setting through this type of bad legislation? I feel that this government, this Ministry should make some attempts to allow us to see the legal opinion that was received by this government.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.