Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I haven't seen the letter that the Member tabled as of yet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Members that the Honourable Glen Abernethy will be absent in the House today due to illness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

All of the major federal political parties should have platform positions on how to strengthen Canada's position in the Arctic. I am working to raise the profile of the Arctic, and will look at many opportunities including letters to the political party leaders to get this issue the attention it deserves in the upcoming federal election. I should point out that, four years ago, we wrote letters to all of the political parties and their leaders, and we had very good, detailed responses to the questions that we raised, so it's certainly a good way to getting attention during the federal elections.

I had called for a national debate on the future of the Arctic a year ago, but I have not yet had any direct discussions with the Prime Minister on this issue, though I have been clear in my statements in this legislature and publicly that I think that Canada needs to take steps to strengthen its position in the Arctic.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have spoken publicly that the Arctic needs to be higher on the Government of Canada's agenda. The Government of Nunavut is supportive of this message. I am committed to raising the issue of strengthening Canada's position in the Arctic with Premier Savikataaq of Nunavut and Premier Silver of Yukon when we meet in early June. The geopolitical context of the Arctic is shifting, and I anticipate that recent events, like the statements made by the United States on the Northwest Passage, will be raised and create an interesting discussion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a Page from Yellowknife South, Andrea Geraghty, and all of the other Pages who have been here for the past three weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to update this Assembly on negotiations toward the shared management of oil and gas resources in the Northwest Territories offshore.

Mr. Speaker, beginning in the late 1980s, the Government of Canada committed to negotiating a Government of the Northwest Territories role in the management of oil and gas in the Northwest Territories offshore. More recently, the Devolution Agreement of 2013 committed Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories, with the participation of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, to commence negotiations within 60 days for the management of oil and gas resources and the sharing of revenues in the offshore. Suffice it to say, the Northwest Territories has been waiting a long time, more than a generation, for these negotiations to start.

Despite previous commitments for negotiations, in 2016, Canada's unilateral federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas activity was imposed without any consultation. This action underscored the importance of the Government of the Northwest Territories seizing a role in decisions about Northwest Territories offshore oil and gas resources.

Mr. Speaker, the shared management regime that will result from these negotiations will ensure that decisions about offshore oil and gas are no longer made unilaterally. It will ensure that unilateral decisions like the one made in 2016 become a thing of the past. The negotiation of the management of offshore oil and gas resources and the sharing of revenues will also ensure that important decisions that directly impact the lives of Northwest Territories residents will include Northwest Territories decision-makers who have direct knowledge of northern circumstances.

Offshore agreements elsewhere in Canada have ensured these decisions are no longer driven solely by federal politics. These negotiations will provide the jurisdictional authority for the Northwest Territories to have a stay in how and when offshore development will occur.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that, earlier this year, all four parties, Canada, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and the Government of Yukon identified negotiators and readied themselves to begin negotiations. On April 12^th to14^th, the first negotiating session occurred in Inuvik.

Mr. Speaker, it is both significant and appropriate that negotiations began in Inuvik. Historically, Inuvik has been a service center for oil and gas activity in the Beaufort Sea. Many residents of Inuvik have a great deal of experience in the oil and gas sector, and have also worked alongside industry to ensure that our Arctic coast and waters aren't put at risk. They have experienced the benefits, and borne the impacts, particularly, as is the case now, during periods of low activity. It is important to remember that oil and gas activity in the Northwest Territories offshore is not new; these activities have been occurring in the Beaufort offshore for more than 40 years.

An offshore agreement is one of the final missing pieces from the complete devolution of province-like authority over natural resources. It will give us decision-making authority with respect to the offshore comparable to what our fellow Canadians in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have been enjoying for decades. Further, that these negotiations include the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation as a party at the table is certainly a first for these kinds of negotiations in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, we are in the very early stages of these negotiations, but that they have commenced is important and we are committed to keeping the Assembly up to date as progress occurs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

My expectation is that we should expect something within the next few months, hopefully before the August session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Each nomination will be considered based on how the proposed building name reflects historical, cultural, and geographic significance. The submissions have been referred to the Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council to provide a recommendation to the Executive Council on a name for each of the three government office buildings. Executive Council will consider the recommendations once they are received.