Our forum is always welcome to that. My final question to the Premier is: would the Premier be willing to include a question to party leaders on how they will engage the Government of the Northwest Territories regarding the Northwest Passage should they form government during the next federal election?

I appreciate the response. Can the Premier advise if he has had any discussions with the Prime Minister on how he plans to involve the Northwest Territories in any discussions moving forward regarding the Northwest Passage?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier on, I spoke about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and my questions are for the Premier. My first question is: can the Premier advise the House whether he has had any discussions with his Nunavut counterpart or Inuit leaders regarding the Northwest Passage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Mr. James Pokiak from Tuktoyaktuk. James owns and operates Pokiak Guiding and Outfitting. He has been operating this for over 40 years. When you talk about traditional knowledge in the House here, on the floor, and in forums around the territory and around the country, James is one of the people who you would naturally go to see to learn more. When you see him around, pull him aside, ask him a few questions, and gain some of his knowledge. It is nice just to be around some days, Mr. Speaker, so I would like to welcome James to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first statement on the floor in this House in 2015 was on the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories was the first jurisdiction in Canada to support UNDRIP and continues to do so today, which I am very pleased. Also, the Government of Canada has now signed onto this agreement.

Given the importance of the Arctic coast and seas to Inuit people, culturally, historically, and economically for sustenance, it is essential that Inuit are engaged in any development of laws or regulations for Arctic coastal waterways. Canada should be engaging with Inuit in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut on any work done in the Northwest Passage under UNCLOS, or United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, following the UNDRIP principles.

There should be a culture shift in Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. Indigenous people are not a Liberal-Conservative issue, nor an NDP-PPC issue. We should have consistent engagement from Ottawa on issues that impact our way of life, regardless of who is in power. We must continue to implement at all levels of government to ensure our rights and our land-claim agreements, which are not only ours but are the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories and the federal government, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I will quote Senator Murray Sinclair, who has been advocating for Indigenous people throughout his career. He states, "The Senate is still debating this, and it seems to be stalling with some senators. People who use the concept of veto and the concept of free, prior, and informed consent as though they are the same thing are totally missing the point."

Last week, our Premier also stated, "I also think it makes sense that residents of Canada's three northern territories have a leading say in determining Canada's plan for the Arctic. We are the ones who live here. We are the ones who are repeatedly affected when decisions are made for us, rather than with us. We are an obvious partner for Canada when they begin to discuss what should happen next."

Mr. Speaker, if anyone in our territory should be leading and implementing UNDRIP, it should be our Premier. Being an Indigenous person myself, I am proud of the work that he and his team have done in collaborating with Indigenous governments and the federal government on projects from planning to implementation. The rest of the country and other countries should take note and follow suit. We have come a long way, but we have a lot of work to do together.

Mr. Speaker, later, I will have questions for the Premier. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is good to hear that. I think that we have gone a long way since this time last year, as far as MTS goes and the planning for shipping in the Arctic communities. It is great to see that the Minister is working federal Ministers on this, as well, Mr. Speaker. That is good news. I commend the Minister for that. My final question is: are there any infrastructure investments planned to improve shipping in Arctic coastal communities in Nunakput? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate that. It's good to hear. It gives MTS a little bit of a reaction time to some of the issues and some of the conditions up in the Arctic along the Beaufort Sea.

Mr. Speaker, my third question is: have there been any planning studies done using Tuktoyaktuk as a staging point for future shipping, not just to Nunakput communities, but to other communities, say, in Alaska and in Nunavut?

I appreciate the response from the Minister. It looks like there have a lot of lessons to learn as we move ahead, seeing as this is all very new to the government. My second question to the Minister is: are the bulk fuel prices being done, and will they reduce the price of gas for petroleum products for Arctic residents?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I spoke about Marine Transportation Services, and my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: what is MTS doing to plan for this and future seasons to ensure that they don't run into the same issues as we did last year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.