Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the town of Norman Wells issued a humanitarian state of an emergency October 15, 2024. Under the Emergency Management Act, a declaration of an emergency would mean the price of fuel could be fixed by the responsible Minister and there may be opportunities for federal support. The following summary explains the trigger mechanism for the declaration and the items in the act that concern the prices of fuel in section 17.

Mr. Speaker, section 17(1), paragraph 1, the Minister may procure, ration, or fix prices for food, fuel, equipment, medical supplies, and...

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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have legislation at our disposal. My follow-up first question to my statement is addressed to the Minister of MACA. Will the Minister of MACA accept the humanitarian state of an emergency issued by the town of Norman Wells? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that response. Here I'm feeling more and more satisfied and comfortable however I can't really say that for the many people out there in the community.

My third question to the same Minister is the Minister exhausting all possibilities for a cost shared model with the Government of Canada and Imperial Oil themself? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since our last Assembly sitting, the Sahtu has faced a very dramatic summer, starting with the cancellation of the marine river barging services and the concerning wildfires in Fort Good Hope, plus the evacuation.

Mr. Speaker, this issue or situation has created a large negative chain reaction of stress on projects, resupply, household food security, summer public infrastructure preparations for O and M, school supplies, and essential services. Most critically, it has impacted the availability of home and commercial heating fuel.

Mr. Speaker, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question to the Minister here, and I feel this is a very large, multimillion-dollar situation, and I don't feel comfortable in asking four questions on behalf of the Sahtu, but I'm going to ask my last one with some extra reserves for tomorrow. Will the Minister agree that this is a crisis emergency situation? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, following up on my statement here earlier today, my questions are to the Minister of Finance. I feel we have discussed this situation at length and are now comfortable to address for Norman Wells' high, high cost of living and fuel.

My first question: Will the Minister of Finance agree to cover the air fuel transportation costs to Norman Wells? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to my colleagues. It's gratifying and heartfelt, warming, that 16 Members have voted to have this debate. And this debate really addresses the urgency that we are experiencing in Norman Wells and the Sahtu.

I feel that I have said this many a times here so I'm not going to have a presentation in front of you other than what I've said here in the North and there in Ottawa. As we all know, I went to Ottawa with my colleagues, the mayor of Tulita, Doug Yallee, and the mayor of Norman Wells and his staff, Mr. Pope, to share the concerns of the magnitude and the in...