Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of comments on what my colleagues have been saying, again, that this is one of the departments that has direct expenditures in every community. A lot of the major projects are visible ones, where people can go to work in the morning and do something and get paid for it, and there are a lot of casual wages related to the construction projects. There is also the contract work, and the one that the Minister is quite aware of, related to use of natural resources, the piling. There has been
a tendency, I think, to use imported piling, steel or whatever other material they use these days instead of wood piles, or the logs. Various regions in the North have sufficient logs and timber resources that can be used, and I think the Minister is well aware of the positions of the people I represent, and their feelings that where we can, the department, for any kind of construction, should use available local resources. These resources are not only for piling but for rough timber and supports for construction, for utilidors in Inuvik or whatever, for sidewalks, things like that. Way back, years ago, there used to be good winter projects, or these make-work projects, using local resources to build sidewalks and wharves and whatever else, using local labour and timber.
The other aspect, in line with that, and I know you mentioned it in your preamble about buying North, using North, hiring North, designing North. I had mentioned it in a few other areas, too, where, as much as possible, we should use the local or NWT resources and expertise. You made a statement today about the fact that we are exporting our expertise to Russia now, and it is there. We just have to utilize more and more of it, wherever it is available, and the more local the better, and in many cases, regionalize. I know the business incentive program is looking at localizing a lot of it, but in many cases it almost becomes a detriment, because most firms are regionalized rather than in a small community. They work out of a community like Inuvik or Rankin Inlet or lqaluit rather than the smaller communities. Consequently, two or three companies are competing for the same contract within the region, but they may not get the extra five per cent, whatever it is that is proposed in the new business incentive policy. We do not want to discriminate, I guess, against the local contractors, but they should be equal and have fair opportunity at contracts.
So I support the initiatives you are taking, and as John mentioned, the proof will be in the pudding this summer, and not in this round but in the next round, when we go through this exercise. That is all I wanted to say. Thanks.