Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about a subject that has been raised in this House before and is now coming to a head in regard to Metis health benefits, the program and its administration.

We received different calls from local presidents in our different communities and heard there is a concern. There is a move in hand to allow the South Slave Metis Council to take over and administer the Metis Health Benefit Programs.

Again, Mr. Speaker, we talk about our relationship with First Nations governments. Metis locals are First Nations governments and the whole process for consultation, involvement and ensuring that anything that this government does, it does in conjunction with the aboriginal leaders.

Mr. Speaker, the previous Minister of Health, Mrs. Groenewegen, through a letter she wrote on August 28th, made it clear to the Metis organizations that she was not going to move on this matter. In the letter, it clearly states:

Please be assured that the NWT Metis Council will also be consulted if any changes to the Metis Health Benefits Programs are to be considered.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, through the new Minister of Health and Social Services, he seems to be taking this thing full speed ahead and no consultation whatsoever with our Metis locals and Metis organizations. Now there is talk that the Minister may be out taking advantage of his new portfolio and being the Member for Thebacha and who basically wants to -- and who, through his electorate who put him in office to deliver on some of those commitments, knowing this has a detrimental threat to the Metis Nations up and down the valley.

We have had a Metis organization, which was the Metis Nation...