Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With respect to how fuel is handled in the communities, particularly gasoline, that's been operated by our government in the communities and the cost of that gasoline, as an MLA, it's always a concern in the smaller, remote communities, such as Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte, that they are stranded. Our government does provide fuel to the communities and sometimes we allow individuals, not only in the band corporations, to run those products. However, it's not really like a free market situation in the small communities. I know that we are providing a service. We are buying the fuel to put in there. Particularly of late, Mr. Chairman, the communities are saying that because early in the fall the gas prices were climbing and our government didn't want to get caught short this year, I think we added an extra allowance and increased the cost of the fuel in anticipation of rising costs. Now I am just wondering how this new act would make it more flexible for the gas prices to come down?

For instance, in Jean Marie, they are still paying $1.40 per litre and that is September or October prices. That's what they are saying. What is going on, Kevin? Why is the government sticking to this when everywhere else in the world the price of gas is declining? Yet, we are stuck with this. It's a catch-22 for Jean Marie. Because their gas storage is $1.40, they are not going to be buying gas there. They will be driving out and buying their fuel from Fort Simpson, Hay River or even Checkpoint, which is a 15-minute drive outside the community. So now we are stuck with stranded gas that is $1.40. I don't know how long that is going to sit there. We are probably going to have to take a hit. They are concerned about how we do that pricing. Even though they topped off the tank, they know darned well -- they aren't specialists in oil and gas, or economic experts -- that that tank was half full. If they just topped it off, why is all the gas worth $1.40? They are saying it doesn't seem right.

The fact is how do we make it more flexible and more responsive to market prices in the small communities? Smaller communities often say that just because we are here, doesn't mean we have to be penalized. That's the way they feel, Mr. Chairman.

I know I have the Minister's opening remarks here, but I wonder if the Minister can detail how these new changes will roll out in the small communities and how they will be more responsive to their needs. The cost of living is quite a burden on them. I don't know how they're doing it today, Mr. Chairman, because they're paying for the heating fuel costs, which is also fixed, too, in the smaller communities by our government. So just with that, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to hear a response from the Minister and his staff.