Mr. Speaker, Senator Murkowski's reaction to my remarks on the 1002 lands indicate very clearly why it is important not to allow recent events to be used to stampede governments into ill-considered decisions in other unrelated areas.
Canada will continue to urge the United States to honour the 1987 agreement on the conservation of the Porcupine caribou herd and its habitat. Canada will continue to emphasize that protection of the Porcupine caribou calving grounds is critical to the health of the herd and to the culture and way of life of the Gwich'in first nation people, both in Yukon and in Alaska.