Masi, Madam Chair. [Translation] Today, we know this is a big issue. We know for a fact it has been an ongoing issue for a very long time, and now it's in front of us. All of us today, all of the Ministers and MLAs, have spoken, and some support it. Some do not support it. Right now, the federal government had money there. We see $2.5 million. That is a lot of money that we are looking at, seeing it today, and we see for a fact, in the communities, we know we need training in all communities and departments, and also we know that we have concerns about the caribou because we know, when the mining was to develop a few years ago, there were concerns from the elders about the caribou, all our elders. Right now, we know for a fact that we will be crossing Akaitcho land. Are we giving them support about doing this project? I do not see them standing behind us to begin this project. Right now I see, if we are going to go ahead, right now, at Frank Channel, that has to also be included, but right now that has been put aside and they put this project first. For me, that is not right, and I don't like it. I went to see the Minister this morning, and I talked about what can we do so that we can put forward, put all that forward, because, for myself, I would like to be able to face the people, and this is my work that I do.

So then I ask questions to our own people, my people, and I know for so long our elders had spoken about the caribou, of course, and to protect the caribou for so long, so long, so long, and now, but not with this. The department, with this and the project that is going to happen, it sounds really well, good, because it would be a development. When the Stanton hospital, the Dehcho and all that, you know, we sit, we see all that business, and yet it's all taken and coming out of our territory. Right now, you see the highway that is going into Whati, I want to see a lot of my people working, but I do not see that, and so I see the business, it's not from our territory, and that is what I see right now. What we say and what we do is two different things, Madam Chair. Right now, with this, a winter road, an all-season road, is this good? I have to say there is no guarantee in investment. We build this road. Is there going to be a project going? Is there going to be a development? Is there going to be some more mining development?

Right now, we know for sure that most of the mines are closing, and the only thing that we have is just only on the winter road. A lot of stuff is also happening right now. I know a lot of elders, a few of them are with me. It's like it's unbalanced because right now, when you say (inaudible) in English and on caribou and development, we should be able to see it as one, but at times we don't see that at all. Right now, it's not my language, Madam Chair. Caribou, I am talking about caribou. Right now, there is no caribou in our country today. For that reason, I hear that daily, every time I see an elder. That is for them.

So, with this project, what is going to happen? We have to worry about that, so I have to say so many projects are happening. We have issues like housing, education, today, now virus within Canada and the Northwest Territories, and where is that going? What is going to happen? We are going to spend millions and millions to let disease spread, we hear. Now we hear $1 billion. In Tlicho, we can't say "1 billion." [English translation not available], you just add million, million, million. Then it's you have to say a billion, but I have to say right now, whatever we have to review, there is so much to do yet. Madam Chair, I really, really am caught in the middle. At times, as for myself, I know I spoke on it yesterday, that bridge at Frank Channel. I would love to see that on the project that is going to happen before what we have in front of us right now. Right now, I see all the Members. Right now, I know that I would have supporters, yes. This, this project that we are talking, it's an issue. It should be second, but now, right now, it's been twisted. Well, what's going to happen if the Frank Channel would go right through right now? How are we going to be able to get anything, access to anywhere at all? We will be stranded here. As a leader, because I live and so I think about stuff like that every day, over the Frank Channel, I see over that. That bridge is over 50 years old, Madam Chair, so many issues to be dealt with.

Right now, this motion that we're in, Frame Lake, thank you very much. Minister, you spoke on, thank you very much. The Minister has a job. They look forward to do their work and their project. Is this the right thing? We're all here, 19, which we would be able to come across these issues, so this is just about as much as I would say right now. Ten million that we see on the paper, and $2.2 million from GNWT, but some are saying, it's like we're going to do research, and so, maybe much later on, we would see it as a project that would be able to go ahead.

When we begin an issue or even assessment doing research, or maybe we would leave it aside. When you begin, and then, it's like you keep going forward because, and then, you end up with $1 billion or so, maybe in about 10 or 15 years, or $1.5 billion that we would be able to maybe spend.

So, in Tlicho, we don't have a billion in Tlicho, but right now, we don't have that kind of a billion on a piece of paper as GNWT. Our government, and watering down some money to us, so, Madam Chair, we know there will be a motion passed. For now, I am thinking, how I might be able to vote. I said it before, this is not me. I am here for the elders. Most of the elders are not here with us today. They were my great friends, so this is how I am going to vote, thinking of my elders. This is all I'm going to say, Madam Chair. Masi. [End of translation]