Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Finance has some comments and recommendations that it would like to make to this committee. The first has to do with the benefits of economic development and tourism projects.
Mr. Chairman, during the review of the 1992-93 Capital Estimates the standing committee recommended that the Cabinet reexamine economic development and tourism priorities from a cost and benefit viewpoint, and in light of other fundamental needs. The government's stock response was that it already does. Quite frankly, this response is unsatisfactory.
For example, Mr. Chairman, the three page project substantiation sheet for the Katannilik Park investment of $1.276 million concludes with a weak analysis of benefits. Nowhere is there a statement of how many people currently visit the park, how many people are expected to visit the park after this investment, or of the expected economic spin-off and indeed, whether this investment will make any economic difference whatsoever. If we are not expected to get some worthwhile economic or social benefit, proportional to the cost, why spend $1.2 million dollars?
Mr. Chairman, we have to believe that this department does not develop plans and strategies to achieve its capital program objectives in the most cost beneficial manner, and that it does not consider which projects will yield the highest level of social and economic benefits. If it did, it would have told us.
The Standing Committee on Finance has repeatedly told this government and most departments that we want to know what the long-range plan is and see projects justified. We do not want to continue to see examples of questionable economic development projects coming forward. It is Cabinet's job to catch these items before they get to the Assembly.
Mr. Chairman, I am moving to the first recommendation from the committee. During the review of the 1992-93 Capital Estimates, the standing committee recommended that the Department of Culture and Communications integrate cultural facilities with other capital projects to achieve economy of scale. That department informed the committee that discussions of economic development and tourism ceased after problems arose. There is a fine line between tourism projects and cultural projects in many instances. For example, the Department of Economic Development budgets $1.2 million for the Fort Smith Bishop's Residence Historical Park, while the Department of Culture budgets $378,000 for Our Lady of Good Hope church in Fort Good Hope. Members of the standing committee believe that these two departments must work together to ensure a consistent and economical approach to tourism and cultural projects which are complementary.