Then I think about what they're saying and I say no, but the business is wanted. Then I think about it and the businesses are kind of leaning that way too. If my business is not going to grow or get opportunities, then there's no benefit for me supporting it; therefore, I've got nothing to gain. Go around me; I don't want it. So we do have to let Ottawa know that, hey, taking care -- like the Premier says in his statement and the Finance Minister in his -- take care of our people, our communities and then people will see there's a benefit here. Then they'll support it.
Today, at first face, it doesn't appear that it will benefit us because I look at these multinational corporations and that's their job. That's their sole existence; to rape and pillage. They're coming and taking everything they can for free. It's like that first pipeline. They built that first 12-inch oil pipeline in 1985 and they got it for free. They're sitting there laughing, and I keep saying we can still go after these guys. We can't go backwards, but we could tell them today, look, you guys are contributing to our communities, our infrastructure and our people. We can and I believe we have the power to do that. What we're still learning, people have memories, too, Madam Chair. They see this pipeline, they got it for free and what's going on is that we have this new mega-development, another pipeline, and industry is not doing anything. They are saying it's between the First Nations groups and Ottawa. They're just sitting there laughing because they know if worst comes to worst and Ottawa has to draft a national interest legislation to get that pipe installed, based on the Continental Energy Strategy, they'll put it in and then they have no obligations like they did the last time. That's what happened, is that they used the old technique of divide and conquer again.
We're so busy fighting that we're not spending our energy and resources training and developing our people, developing capacity, because we've been talking about it for two years and we have no foundation on which to base it on. It's just around the corner, Madam Chair. They're talking finishing and completing the application in 2006. If you think about it, that's 12 months from now. Then they'll get their permits and then construction starts in late 2007. This is mind boggling. People said it's going to move quick, and it is, and people don't see that.
Perhaps, Madam Chair, I'll just stop with that point. But I believe that if we did get more province-like powers, because I know they're not going to give us provincehood today from Ottawa, control over the lands and resources and water then, yes, we'll be able to do a heck of a lot more than we're able to do now. So just bringing little bits and pieces home. I'm a patient type and I don't mind bits and pieces because I'm also logical and know they're not going to give it all to us on a platter. We're going to work hard and show them that we have structures and we have things in place to handle these extra responsibilities because the time is right. I'll just stop there, Madam Chair. Mahsi cho.
---Applause