Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I highlighted in my Member's statement, my question will focus on a critical need for gas tax relief for hunters and trappers. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the FMBS if he would consider making an exception for hunters and trappers to consider an off-road gas tax break for hunters and trappers which would allow them to continue with their traditional harvesting. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the energy costs, the fuel prices across the North, definitely have climbed substantially since this time last year, and we're having to try to adjust with that even from the government's prospective. The idea of a gas tax relief for hunters and trappers would be a difficult one to try and implement as to who would qualify for that and what amounts they would qualify for. That would be a consideration we'd have to look at, but it would be a difficult thing to try to implement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with that in mind, I would like to ask the Minister about his statement on energy that government will be requesting funds for a conservation and education campaign designed to help residents cope with the increase in fuel bills they will experience this winter. So my question to the Minister is, how specifically will this help hunters and trappers in the North? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I spoke to briefly are some of the things we've yet to deal with in the House through a supplementary appropriation that will be coming forward to Members. So I'm unable to speak to the specifics of it, but there are a number of initiatives the government across the board is looking at, and a number of departments are being involved in that process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister indicated, I'd like to ask what kinds of other initiatives the department is looking into to help subsidize hunters and trappers with the high fuel costs to retain and continue with their harvesting? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm informed that there are a number of programs out there that help those involved in traditional harvesting through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as through Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister outlined identifying hunters and trappers would be a difficult task for the department, but I would like to make a suggestion as a question to the department. We do have registered hunters and trappers in our region, and different regions as well, who are regular trappers and hunters. I'm sure the department can work with that status. So if the department can work with that, can they commit to working with the communities to identify those registered hunters and trappers? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is right about the list that each group would have, and I'd be familiar with that, myself, as before I got involved in this line of work, I was involved with the hunters and trappers committee back home. So there are a number of programs out there that we do work with, and maybe through those programs we can look at what can be done. Again, I'm informed that what we call CHAP, or Community Harvesters Assistance Program, is one that was put in place to help harvesters throughout the Northwest Territories. So that might be one of the programs we can look at. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have begun to work on defining our vision and our strategy for getting there. That document is referred to as the Northern Strategy. I hope that we can see a signing of that this fall, if the main pieces are included. One of the main pieces, Mr. Speaker, is devolution and resource revenue sharing. We have to come to an agreement with the federal government on a fair share of the revenues that come from our resources. I'm hoping we can do it this fall. If not, we will continue as long as it takes to make sure that every northerner gets their fair share of the benefits from our resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories, especially the Norman Wells oil field, has been pumping oil out of this region for the last 80 years or so. Today, I understand, we have 24,000 barrels that runs through the pipeline each day in the North here. The life expectancy is between 2020 to 2030, give or take a few years. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier of the Northwest Territories, in terms of the Northern Strategy, what type of insurance can we expect from this devolution, resource sharing, Northern Strategy, that we don't have a dry bucket to deal with the Norman Wells oil field? I mean, it could run out, and then we could sign a deal. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I'm working as much as I can every hour I have on this very issue. I've had recent meetings with the Minister of Indian and

Northern Affairs, who is the lead Minister on devolution with the federal government. I hope to meet with the Prime Minister in the next month and intend that we make progress on this, at least to the point where we can sign an agreement-in-principle on devolution and resource revenue sharing.

Mr. Speaker, I also recently met with the aboriginal leaders who participate in the Aboriginal Summit, and we have an agreement with them that we will work together on a bilateral position on resource revenue sharing for the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.