Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be voting against this particular motion for two reasons. Firstly, because I am not a Member of the Standing Committee on Finance. As I said in my Member's Statement two days ago, if you are not a Member of the Cabinet or the Standing Committee on Finance, then you do not have a forum to defend your constituency until the budget in the Committee of the Whole.
This will be the second such occasion in this particular session where a Member is saying that they are not a Member of the standing committee. Otherwise, there would have been a different outcome to the recommendation. Yesterday Mr. Lewis stated he would have spoken out in the standing committee stage, however, he is not a Member of the Standing Committee on Finance. Again, this was pointed out in the Budget Address made by Mr. Nerysoo earlier today.
I am wondering at this time how many items there are which directly affect those Members who are in the standing committee whose items are being recommended for deletion. If there are any, then it is only with the approval of that particular Member that the recommendation came into this committee.
Secondly, this particular project was initiated by the community residents of Baker Lake. This project was not initiated by this government. This is a collective initiative on the part of the residents of Baker Lake, the Anglican Vestry, the Anglican Diocese and the Hamlet Council and they have been working on it for five years.
It was formulated by the Qatqamiut Historical Society, whose mandate was to restore the original site of the present community. They have received approval from the Anglican Vestry to restore the buildings in the area. They have worked with and received the blessing of the Anglican Bishop of the eastern Arctic. They have received approval from the Hamlet of Baker Lake. They have been able to access funds from various places and have come up with a complete 70 page study which shows the viability of the project. In fact, I have copies downstairs in my office. The study comprises a six-page program summary, the agreement between Qatqamiut Historical Society and the Saint Aidan's Anglican Church Vestry, a four page list of the inventory which the society has accumulated for other projects, a 13 page financial summary, copies of bids for this project, a 29 page sequence of events since the inception of the society, seven letters of support, including the federal government which is willing to provide $100,000 of financial support to the project. They have been able to create ten or more jobs in an area where the government has been unsuccessful or was successful only at great expense. This society has worked tirelessly and voluntarily, I might add, and it has hired 100% locally. These are people who have very limited skills or have traditional knowledge, unlike other organizations in the community.
When Members of this Legislature spoke so eloquently of the need for community initiated projects of northern and local hire, I agreed and I am still in agreement. But if this motion is carried as recommended, then I will not believe the true intent of policies made in this Legislature. I am telling each and every Member of this Assembly that this particular project is community driven, not government driven. I think that those communities, especially ones who already have a plan, should be left alone by the recommendation which the standing committee is making. What this is, is making the community suffer as a result of the government having to follow a directive from this Legislature.
The case has always been that whenever a community is ready and raring to go it is the government that holds up the process and this is exactly what the case will be. I will say again that when Members who are not of the Cabinet or the Standing Committee on Finance, they really have no say over the budget until it comes into Committee of the Whole. This is another perfect example of that statement. I ask this committee, especially those who are not Members of the Cabinet or the Standing Committee on Finance, to consider what I have said and to vote against this particular motion.
I would also like to point out a contradiction that is being made by this committee. Just a few minutes ago a motion was passed and you may have noticed I did not vote. The committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment Programs develop a policy covering museums, churches and other historical buildings to ensure consistency, fairness and equity in the application of standards and criteria for such infrastructure between communities.
The community of Baker Lake is allotted $25,000 which is a very small amount compared to what you see in the Fort Smith Region, which again, this committee has just passed in the amount of $650,000. Now where is the fairness in this? I do not see where the fairness is. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
---Applause