Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can we go back to community programs and services, $290,000?

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I still have not received any written response from the Minister. The Broughton Island Hunters' and Trappers' Association has indicated that they have been requesting funding; however, they were told there was no funding available. When will the Minister tell the hunters' and trappers' associations that there is funding available now? Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm asking my question of the Minister of MACA.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of MACA. During the month of February when the session first started, I asked Mr. Arngna'naaq if there would be any funding available for hunters' and trappers' associations. When we were considering MACA's budget, I asked him that question again. I hadn't received a response from the previous Minister. Now I would like to ask the current Minister of MACA whether he could provide some funding for hunters from Broughton Island to travel to Pangnirtung. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, will he at least consider making an assessment of what impact the cutbacks he is proposing will have on the legal interpreting program?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't agree with the Minister. I understand the manager of the legal interpreting program had a linguistic background. Inuktitut language grammar is very similar to the Dene languages, which all of us found during legal interpreting courses that we took. As you know, Mr. Speaker, sometimes one little word in English can have other possibilities in our native languages and that is one of the things that this program offers, that legal interpreters be very careful how they interpret when a witness is being questioned or cross-examined.

I'll give you an example. In a sexual abuse case, the defence lawyer was asking a question along the lines of this: "Were you laying down?" I was about to interpret that into Inuktitut when all of a sudden I realized what this program taught me. In our language, we have more than four different ways of laying down. This program is very beneficial in recognizing such things like that. If you're not interpreting properly, the outcome of the court...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Justice regarding the legal interpreting program cuts. Mr. Speaker, I am one of the fortunate ones to have taken that program when I was an employee of the language bureau. Before I took the program, whenever I had to interpret in court, it used to be very intimidating not really knowing the procedures of the courts and not only that, but interpreting for someone whose life might be at stake. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is have there been any assessments made if drastic cutbacks are going to proceed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to ask the Minister of Justice some questions, after listening to questions posed by my colleagues concerning the PY cuts in the legal interpreting program. In one of his responses, Mr. Speaker, the Minister said the legal interpreter manager's responsibilities would be taken over by the official languages coordinator. I would like to know if this official languages coordinator has a background in linguistics.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Three days ago, I was delighted to read an article entitled "Seafood-Rich Diet Immunizes Inuit Against Air Pollution" in the Edmonton Journal. I say this to inform my constituents, especially the residents of Broughton Island that, according to Dr. Eric Dewailly of the Quebec Centre for Public Health, seal meat is no threat to anybody's health. It, in fact, contains several contaminants and at the same time, an antidote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage the young people in my constituency to make seal meat part of their diet and not to fear the contaminants reported by the Department of Health a few years ago. Mr. Speaker, a bit of advice for Department of Health officials: please seek advice and approval of your Minister before disclosing any studies carried out in less than five years before making any public announcements or, better yet, let the Minister responsible make the public announcement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.