Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to welcome two pages from the community of Deline, Ehtseo Ayha School. Their names are Matthew Bond and Evelyn Gaudet. Welcome to the Assembly. Mahsi.

The question is what day the Minister wants to travel. Thursday?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank to the Minister for that response. To help kind of clarify, I want to initiate a discussion between his department and the local government to develop an application that could be sent to the appropriate federal departments to offset the $6.6 million that's costing our government, or the citizens in this case, for unit price fuel. So will the Minister provide the briefing as mentioned last week in preparation for the measures taken to have our meeting in Norman Wells? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize the ex-Premier Mr. Joe Handley. And also, first time to this House here, two students there from the Colville Lake school Mason Kochon and Briley Kochon. Welcome to the House there, young fellas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply. I'll phone LA Travel and make arrangements.

Our festive season is coming. We've got 65 days there before the big day of Christmas coming. Our festive season starts prior to that, and we need to lessen the burden and concern and stress that this financial cost is being placed on our family homes. So it's a very privilege for Ministers to come to small communities. In this particular case, what better designate on behalf of this government to have that meeting in Norman Wells with the community leader? So I look forward to --

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my statement to the Minister of MACA, my first question is will the Minister of MACA accept this invitation to travel to Norman Wells and meet with the mayor Pope and town council to discuss and develop a joint federal town of Norman Wells strategy for lobbying for the funds needed to eliminate our high fuel crisis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the 20th Assembly developed a federal engagement strategy. This will allow our relationship building on joint resources discussions to address the many challenges faced by our Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, this federal engagement strategy certainly covers the disastrous situation faced by my community of Norman Wells and the Sahtu residents for the high fuel costs that's being air transported.

Mr. Speaker, as the Members recall last week, my request to the Minister of MACA for a briefing package outlines the preparations taken to lobby our federal...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise today in order to report progress. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My follow-up question on my questions earlier is to the Minister of MACA. And before I ask this question, I want to emphasize the crisis that we're experiencing here. I continuously get texts here. The text reads: $1,500 for 280 liters, one-quarter of a tank, for my fuel at the house tank. And it's not even the dead of winter yet. That's just one of many that I'm receiving. My question to the Minister is the Minister of MACA willing to invite mayor Frank Pope and proceed on setting up a meeting with the federal counterpart to address the situation in person; would the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that reply. Would the Minister provide a briefing or backup documents specific to the state and the discussion happening between his office or this government and the federal government and provide that to my office and the mayor of Norman Wells? Thank you.