Madam Speaker, I can assure my Progressive Conservative Party friend from Manitoba, my friends from the opposite side of the House, and you, Madam Speaker, that I do not intend to use all of the 27 minutes.
I did wish to raise one additional point. There is another concern that I believe the Yukon Territory is going to have to confront, assuming this legislation does proceed. That is the conflict in the territories with regard to outstanding land claims. The land claim issue of course is a problem across the country. Yukon is no exception to that, but there is a particular concern in Yukon because of the pressure that is being exerted on that territory in terms of the demands that we have for fossil fuel and the building of a pipeline that would cross the Yukon Territory.
As we know, there were various proposals outstanding for different pipelines, but one proposal would have fuel flow out of Alaska through the southern part of Yukon down through British Columbia and Alberta. The land that is in the area in the southern part of the Yukon Territory is subject to a land claim that, like so many others, has been outstanding for quite some time. This legislation, if it is applied to the proposal for the pipeline to run through that area, is also going to be confronted with how we deal with that proposal when we have an outstanding land claim. What role does that first nation play? It is not the only area in the territory where this is a potential problem. It obviously behooves this government to move as quickly as possible to resolve those land claims. On behalf of the NDP, I highlight this as a concern as to how this legislation is going to be implemented.
By way of summary, let me say that the NDP is in support of this legislation. We believe it has some innovative features which make it mandatory that it be supported. I have expressed today, as has the member for Winnipeg Centre in the past, certain concerns about the legislation, but it does enhance significantly the role that the first nations will play in the environmental assessment process. It introduces to a much more significant degree socio-economic issues, particularly cultural and heritage matters. It brings into play the cumulative impact principle. Finally, this legislation has had a significant amount of consultation with the first nations, with the government of the Yukon Territory and with local communities in Yukon. On that basis we will be supporting the legislation.