Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, support this motion. The air industry in the Northwest Territories is fairly well established and they have the capacity, therefore, I feel very confident that they could provide a very key and critical service that is very clearly evident and needed here in the Northwest Territories.
The public safety, of course, is the highest principle in ensuring that we’re all safe and that we’re confident that if something does happen, there are people out there that will be quite capable and ready to provide a service that is sometimes based on time. Having a search and rescue base here in the North would really provide a timely operational safety net to ensure the public safety is always the foremost in our priorities.
I see this as an operational step. It will, indeed, establish a northern star almost, a beacon of hope, a beacon of light for people that travel through the Northwest Territories. At the same time, we always have to be prepared that accidents, major catastrophes, at the same time people have been lost out on the land, it’s always something that we try to avoid, but it does happen from time to time. If that happens, time is critical and having a base here in the Northwest Territories we’ll, indeed, be in the position to save lives.
Therefore, I support this motion and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Mahsi.