Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Chairman, we looked at and analyzed a number of different options for having a presence on the ground in Japan that would help us promote our aurora tourism sector; some of them more expensive than others. To have a permanent presence, a trade office, if you will, the way Alberta and some of the other jurisdictions do in Japan is very expensive. So what we looked at was something a little more conservative and we have had discussions with the NWT Tourism Group. They are interested in pursuing the option as they currently have with an agent responsible for Europe, finding an agent responsible for Japan. It's likely that that organization, NWTT, would be responsible for finding an agent, although we want to ensure that they and the department, that we are collectively able to work with the local operators here to find somebody that the operators can agree on. That's not always the easiest piece. We want to find somebody who the operators believe will have an impact and can work with the main organizations in Japan to drive traffic here. So that is something we are talking about. This is something the NWTT is interested in. They feel it's been successful in Europe and they would like to duplicate the approach as it relates to Japan. Now it may not be exactly in the same manner, but we are looking at a number of options or solutions. It's more in this area as compared to a permanent trade office. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Maybe I will just change gears for a moment to the hunting industry. Can the Minister tell me today what is outstanding in our outfitter industry as far as our business loans? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Chairman, this is part of the analysis that we are still doing. It goes back some time. Of course, it predates BDIC, Mr. Chairman. So we are compiling that information. We will have that for the Member shortly, but we are not there yet in terms of the specific ask. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can I expect that information by the end of this week, or before the end of session? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Chairman, I will make the commitment to get it for the Member before the end of session.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just continuing in a similar vein as I did with the aurora sector, about a week and a half ago, I had asked the Minister for some details. They said they were working on some strategies because if we have to start shifting the hunters away from tags and find a different way of promoting the outfitting industry, trying to convince people to put down their guns and pick up their cameras, the Minister alluded to the fact that they were working on something. Of course, the Speaker ruled it out of order because he decided it was too hypothetical. I would like to hear if the Minister has any further information. Even though he said they were working on stuff, I would like to hear what he's been working on. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I am not going to get into the discussion of the tags and the allocation for 2007-2008, where ENR sits and what is going on. That's a matter of record on the floor of the House and I am concerned about sub judice. Let me say we are working with the outfitting organization. This is an industry that is under pressure. I have met with the Barren-Ground Caribou Outfitters Association. We have talked about and I have agreed that we would provide support to help them put together a presentation for the Wekeezhii board. We are doing that. They have hired the consultant. I think it's in the neighbourhood of about $30,000 worth of support. We are also analyzing future options for the industry, discussing with that organization how we can best provide aid. This is important that this is something that is not departmentally driven but worked through and with the outfitters to best understand how we can help them. Much of it does depend on what happens for and with future numbers of tags. At this point, we don't have that information. I will assure the Members that we continue to work with this organization. We were in contact with the Barren-Ground Caribou Outfitters Association and the president prior to the recent meeting conducted by ENR. We had lots of discussion about how we could best provide resources and so we continue to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's actually in the future options in the aid section that I am looking into and it's the area that those types of scenarios are being developed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, we are considering all possible scenarios. Again, we don't know what the 2008 numbers are going to look like. There is a public consultation process that Wekeezhii will go through. They will have public hearings. Let me specifically say, though, for individual businesses, because even prior to this, this is an industry that has been under some pressure and we have been working with some of the individual businesses. We do have and provide support and programming for individual businesses the way we do with all of our businesses, Mr. Chairman, in the areas of business planning, business relief. We talk about product development, we help with marketing. So there is assistance we provide more broadly to the organization. The Members have spoken to some of the tourism dollars we have related to the sector in Tourism 2010. We also work with specific businesses to help them develop marketing and product. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Next on the list is Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions. I wasn't going to mention anything about the caribou issue, knowing that the application was filed last Friday, but the Minister just mentioned that he didn't want to speak about the tag issue due to the sub judice rule but he did go on to explain at length on all that he's working on on behalf of the association. Mr. Chairman, I am sympathetic to the light they are under especially for the small mom and pop operations and those who have been trying to work in a sustainable way. If the government is being sued and it is a defendant, how can he be working on supporting them in other ways? Isn't government as a whole part of the defendant? I mean the Minister started that discussion so I just want the Minister to clarify that.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the programming and support was in place prior to any lawsuit; it will be in place post any lawsuit. We continue on with Tourism 2010; the marketing dollars and Tourism 2010 have not dried up. This has not come to a screeching halt because of this pending court action, Mr. Chairman. So we continue to work with this association, continue to meet with them, continue to support them, and I'm not proposing that we stop. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

So I don't understand how a body is suing a government, and I'm sure it's the government as a whole, not just the ENR section, and another section of the government is working to support them in presentations to the Wekeezhii board. I don't understand that. I thought, for example, in self-government negotiations situations if you litigate, the work stops until that litigation matter comes to resolution. Does he see any contradiction in the government being sued and at the same time part of the government wing, or is he saying in general terms he said pre-litigation and post-litigation that they would be continuing work under Tourism 2010? Could he be more specific on exactly what he is able to do or what he is working on, or just clarify? I don't want him to violate the sub judice rule but, seeing as he brought it up, I just don't understand why he can't see the contradiction.