Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about air transportation and how important these services are in our northern communities. Our true northern air carriers are Canadian North and First Air. These companies service communities outside of Yellowknife, the area of the Beaufort-Delta. We need to thank them for the commitment to providing this service into these smaller communities. They provide this service 12 months of the year during the busy seasons and the quiet times. Many Northerners do not have any alternative methods of transportation, so air services are essential services. It’s our only method of transportation for a trip south of the community. Most of us can’t drive down the highway or take a bus out of town like Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Simpson.

Southern companies like Air Canada have shown us that they have no interest in providing service to the rest of the communities in the Northwest Territories or outside of Yellowknife. WestJet will start a seasonal service to Yellowknife in May of this year. That extra service will have a significant impact on northern carriers because of the way they will be impacting services to communities outside of Yellowknife.

The new carriers such as Air Canada and WestJet, Mr. Speaker, are cherry picking the marketplace by providing services on only some routes. They do

not consider the damage that they can cause and the viability of the services into the communities.

Northerners in Nunakput can spend $1,000 just to leave town on a flight south. We don’t need these flights to become more expensive and less frequent, Mr. Speaker.

I hope the Minister of Transportation understands his responsibility to protect and support our northern air carriers and smaller communities. I expect the Minister of Transportation has quality activities in place to support our true northern air carriers who provide services in the small communities. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.