Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would tell the Minister responsible for Economic Development and Tourism that there is a high unemployment rate and many people are on social assistance in the North Slave region, which I represent. I am sure the Minister will recall the number of times I have mentioned in the House the statistics from my region. As a Minister I think he needs to convey the reality to his Cabinet colleagues in order to develop or enhance the economy of my region. They need to cooperate with the Minister with regard to economic development.
Mr. Chairman, I always stress the importance of transportation infrastructure. I think this Minister must convey the strong message to the Cabinet that without the key element of transportation infrastructure such as roads, wharfs and airports, the economy will not grow. I am sure the Minister has heard me speak about this. Mr. Chairman, as the lead Minister for economic development in the territories, the Minister must strongly convey to the Cabinet, and to some individual Ministers that, in order to make some regions reach a better economy, they will have to assist them as much as they can, in terms of capital contracts or general government contracts.
Mr. Chairman, the private sector has been doing as much as it can to enhance the economy in my region. As you know, I usually indicate that other than our region as the worst economic region, there is the Kitikmeot. This government, particularly the Minister who is responsible for economic development, has to convey strongly to the Cabinet and his colleagues that these two regions have to be looked at. It is unfortunate that the Minister who has the responsibility of economic development has not emphasized strongly to his Cabinet the need for decentralization. I was surprised because in promoting economic development and trying to better various regions and help the territories as a whole to prosper, the Minister has overlooked the two worst regions. He has not conveyed to his colleagues on the Executive that there is a need in those two regions for economic development.
Mr. Chairman, this particular Minister has the capabilities of making his colleagues understand the complex issues of the various regions, and he knows what is happening across the territories. His staff monitors everything, or I hope they do. With all the information that his staff collects, this Minister is the key Minister for enhancing the local and regional economy of all areas of the territories. Mr. Chairman, my region is disadvantaged. It has been disadvantaged for years. It is trying its best to catch up with the other regions. I realize the Minister is trying to assist us but I feel that more of an effort needs to come from this lead Minister. I think he must send a strong message to his colleagues that the policy of enhancement of the disadvantaged communities and regions has to be adhered to.
Mr. Chairman, over the last number of years in this House, I have been advocating this. We have been moving along slowly and trying to catch up. I think this is not enough. Surely we can do a little bit more for the communities which are disadvantaged. I hope that the Minister will seriously consider what I have said. Mahsi.