Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to talk about the Northwest Territories Metis Nation. As we all know, the Northwest Territories Metis Nation is one of the aboriginal groups in the Northwest Territories and in Canada that are negotiating with the territorial government and the federal government on contractual arrangements between the three bodies.

The Deh Cho reached its agreement that was signed in 2002 and is something of a worry for the Metis Nation. They feel the Government of the Northwest Territories is not living up to that agreement and are, in fact, reneging on that agreement, Mr. Speaker. I promised them that I would help open up dialogue between the two organizations and this is one of the ways that I plan to do so, is to raise the issue in the House. If our governments are entering into agreements with other governments, this government has to live by those agreements; bottom line, Mr. Speaker.

On September 19th, Mr. Speaker, the Powley case out of Sault Sainte Marie in Ontario, a Supreme Court decision, recognizes Metis rights as aboriginal rights with the same weight as treaty rights. That is more reason why this government has got to play a more serious role in dealing with the Metis Nation.

I congratulate the Metis people for persevering and fighting for their rights all these years. Where at one point in time they were not getting any rights at all, now we have the Supreme Court decision that says they have rights just as much as treaty Indians. My position has always been that we're all one family and that Supreme Court's decision is consistent with my philosophy here and, I believe, the philosophy of a lot of Northerners.

So I encourage the government to continually be vigilant in their dealings with all aboriginal governments, including the Northwest Territories Metis Nation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause