Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over one month ago an earthquake hit Haiti. Mr. Speaker, to date, there are over a million people without shelter. With the rainy season coming, there is an urgent need to provide shelter to the people of Haiti.

There are over 160 tents right now sitting in inventory in Fort McPherson at the Tent and Canvas Shop. The craftspeople at the Fort McPherson canvas shop can sew one to two tents each day per individual. If it is required, the Tent and Canvas Shop in Fort McPherson can go on a full-time operational basis and provide the emergency shelter that is going to be needed to the people in Haiti.

I think it’s important that this government does everything it can to help the people in Haiti. We need to realize that we do have a way and means of providing emergency shelter to the people of Haiti who require it as soon as possible with the rainy season coming. This government has to find some alternatives and options to help the people in Haiti.

Like I stated earlier, we have over 160 tents in inventory sitting in Fort McPherson. I think this government, along with the Government of Canada and NGOs, could possibly find a way to move those tents from Fort McPherson to Haiti through the Canadian Military to the Canadian External Affairs department who are also working with the country of Haiti. I believe that we as a government and we as the people of the Northwest Territories must do everything we can to provide the emergency shelter that is required for the people of Haiti.

At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister responsible for the Fort McPherson canvas shop if the government has considered this as an option moving forward.