Thank you, Mr. Chair. Speaking about the report, we travelled around the territory. Obviously, the issue was the cost of living, the cost of transportation. In my region, we rely a lot on gasoline for harvesting, for country food and things like that, transportation for airplanes, which we see there will be exemptions. I just want to say, Mr. Chair, I won't be long, but if we went with the federal backstop, we would definitely be paying more, and we would definitely feel it further in the territories. I think that this is probably the best way forward for now as the legislature and the territories are moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a good timeline. It gives hunters and trappers time enough to prepare for their upcoming season. Mr. Speaker, we do have a lot of outfitters, as well, in the region, and they sometimes require export for hides outside the country. My question to the Minister is: will outfitters in the Northwest Territories be able to get CITES forms, CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, permits for export of animal hides out of the country? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In my region, there are a lot of hunters who trap in the bush, as well as along the coast. It is good to hear that the Minister is looking into this. Also, there are a lot of returning trappers preparing for the fall season. What is the timeline for when the Grubstake Program will be available to trappers this year?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about the Grubstake and Prime Fur Bonus Programs, and my questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I would like to ask the Minister: when can hunters and trappers expect to receive payments for their monies earned from the auctions in 2019? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to welcome my friend Tina Decouto from Iqaluit, as well, too. She has done a lot of good work in Nunavut. Welcome to the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of ladies from Tuktoyaktuk, Ms. Wanda Steen and her sister Annie. Mr. Speaker, Annie and Wanda have both worked for the Inuvialuit for a long time and likely still have a lot of connections. Annie also participated in some programs in Tuktoyaktuk, and she has actually helped the Community Corporation and the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk progress a lot with the tourism industry.

Mr. Speaker, when the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway was completed, there was a little bit of a lack of infrastructure, and Annie picked up the a slack on that. I would like to congratulate Annie. I hear Annie is possibly running this year, and I encourage her to do it, as well, as many other women, especially in Nunakput. Once again, a strong Inuvialuit, so I would like to welcome them both. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the hunters and trappers in the Northwest Territories, along with some highlights of two specific programs that are offered within the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program under the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. The program names are the Prime Fur Bonus and the Trappers' Grubstake.

Mr. Speaker, hunting and trapping has been a cornerstone of the NWT's traditional economy for centuries. Even today, it continues to be a vital source of commercial enterprise and income for many individuals and businesses across the Northwest Territories. In addition to the various economic benefits that come alongside this industry, hunting and trapping has also become a method for helping today's generation remain connected to their ancestral ways of life. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, it is important that our local hunters and trappers are informed about GNWT's various programs that are available to them, among which include the Trappers' Grubstake and Prime Fur Bonus programs.

This brings me to the crux of the statement, because, in recent weeks and months, I have had numerous constituents enquire with me about the status and functionality of these two programs. For those who are unaware of these two programs, I would like to provide a brief summary of how they operate.

Firstly, Mr. Speaker, the Trapper's Grubstake Program is an initiative designed to help offset some of the start-up costs that hunters and trappers will often incur at the beginning of each season. The sums of money given out to people are determined by the number of pelts harvested by each hunter from the previous year, and can vary from $100 to $2,000 depending on the hunter's haul, quality of fur, and fur type. Moreover, the Prime Fur Bonus Program is a monetary top-up incentive that's designed to spur the highest quality of pelts.

Mr. Speaker, it is programs like these that help keep the sector of our economy alive and well. As many hunters and trappers across the Northwest Territories consider these programs essential for their livelihoods, so because of that, I find it concerning that I hear stories from constituents about outstanding money being owed to hunters and trappers for furs they sold in the spring. As far as I am aware, there aren't any other programs like this in other jurisdictions in Canada. To maintain a sustainable system for our departments, our departments must work seamlessly with hunters and trappers who rely on these programs to hunt and trap across the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Throughout this Assembly, I always encourage the government to work with Indigenous governments to develop policy, especially the regulation stages. It is good to hear that the GNWT and the department are involved with Indigenous governments, the IRC which is close to my region with oil and gas interests. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Coming from the Inuvialuit Regional ISR, there are definitely some, the industry there is obviously slow, and I am sure that the government is well aware of all the issues they are having in the region with their licences and with all the natural gas. I am just wondering what role the IRC had to play in this? Thank you, Mr. Chair.