Iqaluit (May 09/05) - MLAs unanimously agreed Thursday that hunters whose machines broke down this winter due to bad gas must be compensated for their losses with a package from both the GN and Shell Canada.

The question remains, how much will that package be worth.

Several amendments were made to the bad gas motion and it was well into Thursday afternoon before MLAs finally voted on it.

Fifteen communities were visited and 170 people were interviewed about bad gas in Nunavut, Transportation minister Peter Kilabuk said.

"We were able to get further gasoline testing done, which confirms the gas from both the Shell Scotford and Montreal refineries meets the Canadian General Standards Board and Nunavut specifications," said Kilabuk.

"However, the testing also confirmed the differences between the gasoline coming from the two refineries, which may have contributed to the problems encountered."

Problems experienced by snowmobile and ATV drivers this year included spark plug fouling, damaged engines and damaged fuel pumps.

Rankin Inlet MLA Tagak Curley has been one of the most vocal supporters of bad gas compensation.

Curley kept pushing the GN to make a deal with Shell for a compensation package, saying many people were afraid to go hunting this year for fear their machines would break down while they were out on the land.

He added that he also heard of crankshafts breaking in some of the snowmobiles.

Kilabuk said Shell is aware of the problems experienced by snowmobile drivers in Nunavut and the company has been co-operative.

He is confident the GN will soon reach a package deal with Shell. A fuel voucher program will be introduced to help those affected, Shell spokesperson Denita Davis said, after a meeting between the company and the petroleum products division of the government last week.

"We'll continue to work in consultation together," she said.