Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my colleague, the hon. member for Abitibi, for giving me the chance to speak. I believe he is familiar with my concerns about the cost of living in the far north. He is very much aware of it because he shares my opinion that the cost of living up there is exorbitant. My colleague also knows some people who will be coming to tell us how things operate there.
During the 35th Parliament, I raised the problem in order to tell people that it made no sense at all for the cost of living in the North, whether in Iqaluit or in Kuujjuaq, to be twice as high as it is here. The average income up north is half what it is here. So that means the cost of living is really four times greater. Up north, a quart of milk costs $2, three liters cost $8, while here they cost maybe half that. These people have only half our income as well.
The Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs is currently holding a quite extensive examination of economic development. When I spoke before, I referred to the fact that sometimes that carton of milk or other essential item had passed through 21 middlemen before the aboriginal people bought it at their local Northern Store.
If you traced that milk from the beginning until it was purchased in the Northern Store, it sometimes had passed through 21 intermediate steps, which was not logical. Everybody along the way took a little cut, which ended up making the price exorbitant.
I think we must get to the bottom of this. It is part of economic development. It is one way to help the people of the North by trying to find some way they can obtain their staples at a reasonable price.