Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know that the Department of Renewable Resources from the Northwest Territories is a part of the negotiating team. But I know that the Department of Renewable Resources has been in workshops and meetings organized by the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, to the specific question on whether the Department of Renewable Resources is actively involved in the negotiations, I would have to take that as notice. I had indicated that the Canadian wildlife service had arranged or organized meetings and workshops that the Department of Renewable Resources had been involved in. I don't know whether I am answering the question, but that is as much as I know, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the role of the Department of Renewable Resources is to represent views held by aboriginal and non-aboriginal residents of the Northwest Territories. I believe I had indicated that earlier. The department officials have attended meetings of renewable resource boards, as well as workshops and meetings organized by the Canadian Wildlife Service, to get an understanding of territorial concerns. Now I also understand that there are some issues that have been raised by the Canadian Wildlife Service that have been helpful, or the input that they have received from the Northwest Territories has been quite helpful in their discussions. However, that has been the

department's role in representing territorial residents on the Migratory Birds Convention. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has made every effort to try to represent the views of aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories but by the agreement that the Inuvialuit have had with the federal government, the Inuvialuit have been very actively involved with the migratory bird discussions. I also believe that the department makes every effort to try to consult with all aboriginal groups across the Northwest Territories on any issues that will involve aboriginal people. Definitely all aboriginal groups in all regions of the Northwest Territories will be consulted and should have been consulted in the discussions on the Migratory Birds Convention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that the department has been involved in discussions along with the federal government. In consulting with the US government, we've had some officials who have made presentations to various organizations in the United States. I also know that the Department of Renewable Resources has involved such organizations as the Wildlife Management Advisory Council which was formed under the Inuvialuit settlement agreement, and I also understand that the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board will also become actively involved in the discussions on the Migratory Birds Convention Act. As far as I know, the department will be involving all other aboriginal groups in the Northwest Territories in trying to get an understanding of what the aboriginal groups would like to see in this act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will. In fact, I have met with the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board on a number of occasions and indicated to them that we had arranged for the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board to meet with officials of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. However, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, having just recently been formed, has had some of their own difficulties in their formation and staffing requirements and trying to address many of the organizational difficulties that an organization might have in trying to set up.

So, Mr. Speaker, in an effort to try to speed up any discussions that the Northwest Territories might have in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, I recently spoke with a member of the regional HTA and in our discussions we wanted to come up with a way where we might be able to speed up the workshop that we had proposed. Hopefully, Mr. Speaker, we'll be able to set this up later in the spring or early in the summer and hopefully it will be before allocations are made in area zero. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that if there are any allocations given up by Canada in the waters within the 200-mile limit, that the Minister would have the decency to inform those who would be affected. I think that in the Northwest Territories, the area adjacent to the waters around the NTI agreement, if they are to be affected then the Minister would inform myself as well as the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, according to the Nunavut final agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, it would give us some representation in the discussions, but the discussions that are ongoing have been outside the Canada boundaries of the 200-mile limit. They have stuck with, basically, the international waters which are outside our boundaries. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise Members that Canada's Environment and Energy Ministers met in February and approved a national action program on climate change. This program describes the steps that federal, provincial and territorial governments are beginning to take to control the emission of gases which cause warming of the earth's atmosphere. These gases are commonly known as greenhouse gases.

Carbon dioxide, released during the burning of fossil fuels, is the most significant of these gases. Along with water vapour in clouds, the gases trap the sun's energy and keep the atmosphere warm. Now, human activities around the world are releasing so much of these gases that the earth's climate is beginning to change.

The national action program that Canada's Environment and Energy Ministers approved depends heavily on organizations adopting voluntary actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. In the Northwest Territories, the departments of Renewable Resources, Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources and others are developing programs to encourage northerners to take the necessary voluntary actions.

Some of these actions include:

-Renewable Resources is participating in the Mackenzie Basin impact study to help understand anticipated changes to the north's climate which will result from these emissions.

-Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources has completed an inventory of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by people in the Northwest Territories. They found that most of our emissions come from burning petroleum products for energy, transportation, heating and making electricity. The Department of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources is also managing energy efficiency programs and renewable energy initiatives as well as working towards the expansion of waste heat use from diesel generators.

-The Power Corporation and the Department of Public Works started recovering waste heat from diesel generators 10 years ago.

-A new wind generator system to make electricity has been installed in Cambridge Bay and two other units are currently being tested in Igloolik.

-Private companies in the Northwest Territories are supplying solar and wind energy systems to northerners.

These are just some examples of actions that will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and reduce fuel consumption. Another important benefit will be the saving of money.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is a problem that the Department of Renewable Resources takes seriously. It is a problem that we are just beginning to understand and it is a problem that will be with us for a long time. Renewable Resources will continue to work to develop a better understanding of what the impacts on the northern environment will be and will continue to work with others to control our own greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To the detail of the amounts that were allocated or requested in the special warrant, I had insisted that the traditional knowledge coordinator should be located in Nunavut. To date, this position has not yet been filled. So the conference that was being planned for this month did not take place. This request for the .25 person year as yet, has not been filled. Although, there are some things that have happened with a person who had been hired on a casual basis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.