Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I think the list the Member is talking about has been supplied to the standing committee on finance. I will make sure the Member gets the same list and, secondly, we are not giving any consideration to another organization similar to this, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Mr. Chairman, the Minister just indicated that he was going to review whether there was a review for a long-term program and whether or not this program would exist beyond next year. I am just wondering if there is another option to be considered, other than the NWT Development Corporation, to assist existing businesses or to deal with matters such as marketing studies, expansion or start-up costs for new businesses. I believe that is the intention of this particular fund, and he indicated that that may not continue beyond next year and that he does not, at least at this particular juncture, anticipate a continuation. So I am curious as to what considerations the department has given to other options, not the establishment of new ones but others to replace this particular one.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, as I said, the funding next year will probably be around the six million dollar mark for the corporation. I suggested that we would review how it is going. That is not to say it might close down, and even if

we were not to fund it for one year, we would still have a number of businesses, a number of ventures, that it was involved in. What I am saying is that we would review it to see whether there was a funding requirement for that particular year.

The other avenue, of course, to address some of the things that Mr. Nerysoo pointed out, would be the Business Credit Corporation which is fast coming on stream.

Marketing Initiatives

With regard to marketing, there are a number of initiatives right now being taken by the private sector, being taken by Arctic Co-operatives, being taken by ourselves, and we are attempting to make sure that all of those things are interlocking. Mr. Nerysoo raises a good point, and that is, should there be a marketing corporation for the NWT? I think that is a distinct possibility. It may be through the private sector with some assistance from ourselves, it may be through Arctic Co-operatives, it may be a joint venture, but certainly part of the problem that we see in the NWT right now is the aspect of marketing.

As I say, there are a number of things going on right now. We are trying to co-ordinate all of those things, and there may be a proposal coming back to the House with regard to some kind of marketing initiative. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.

Could the Minister and his department determine whether a marketing aspect or program could be considered as part of a future economic development agreement? Could the department review what other jurisdictions have been able to address in that particular matter with the Government of Canada?

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, certainly one of the things raised by a number of the provinces at the last Finance Ministers' meeting was a more aggressive Canada, a more aggressive trade area in Canada, and some co-operation between the federal government, and the provincial and territorial governments, with a view to marketing overseas.

I think the Member raises a good point, and that is, if the federal government were to recognize that part of our problem up here is marketing, it may be able to be included in a new economic development agreement with Canada in the future.

Mr. Nerysoo.

Has the department conducted any assessment or marketing capacity, first of all to include communities in the marketing process as well as to include private business in marketing the product that they are selling or the service they are selling in southern trade shows or southern events that could create a situation where others across Canada or in the United States might be able to see first hand individuals that are actually involved in the delivery of service?

I raise this matter, not only in terms of Canada and the United States, but I would ask that the Minister could review this whole issue of marketing in terms of the European market and the Pacific Rim countries and that particular market. Because I think you will find that the experience of other provinces has been that the Government of Canada has not been very interested or that successful in promoting the interest of one particular jurisdiction versus another. I think that has been one of the problems in many respects in the marketing process, because governments are not in the business of promoting one jurisdiction over another; rather, they are trying to promote Canada in its total community, and it makes it very difficult. I think you will find that one of the reasons British Columbia has become very interested in the Pacific Rim countries and established their own embassy or BC house -- and the same thing with Alberta, it is for the very reason of trying to promote their interest, rather than BC's interest or Ontario's interest. They are looking at their interest and that is the basis on which they market that particular jurisdiction.

Mr. Todd.

NWT Development Corporation To Serve Have-Not Areas

I know I have asked the Minister this before, but every time he talks about this NWT Development Corporation I get an uneasy feeling. My interpretation of this NWT Development Corporation is that it was set up specifically to look at the have-not areas, at least that was my interpretation. But, in fact, it is an instrument of economic development, and the profit, at least on the front end, may not necessarily be the motivation. The fact is that we want to make sure that if it provides 12 or 13 jobs in Fort McPherson and people are not going to be on welfare or social assistance, they are going to be productive members of that community, then the government should invest in it.

We are in a unique situation in this country where we are all, in some ways, wards of the state in one way or another, and I am a strong supporter of this NWT Development Corporation. I think it is doing a reasonable job. It can obviously do better. It is essential that it stay in place so that we can organize some of the operations that provide jobs and opportunities for our people, where it may not necessarily be profit oriented, whether it is a fish plant in Whale Cove or an arts and crafts store in Coral Harbour, et cetera. The fact of the matter is, we have got to get our people to work, and some of our people need the assistance of this type of operation. I am somewhat concerned that the Minister is implying that we would be looking at less money, not more money, considering, I believe, there are $27 million worth of applications on the deck now; so I would have thought he would have come forward or implied that he was looking for more money next year, not less money.

Most of those applications, I suspect, are for areas where it would be difficult in any circumstance for an operation to be profitable. So on the one hand I am encouraged by it, and on the other hand I need to get assurances once again. I asked it last week, and I am going to ask it again. Is it certain in the department that there is a requirement in certain circumstances for government intervention to ensure that certain projects go forward that provide employment opportunities for people? Does the Minister agree with that statement?

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Yes, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

It is certainly not my place to tell the Minister what to do, but I would encourage him to look for more money next year, not less money, in this particular instance. Again, I say I am a strong supporter of the NWT Development Corporation. I think its mandate is clear. It will provide opportunities for some of the small operations in the communities. We have just to make sure we keep vigilant, and should there be a situation where it can be sold off and be successful, then more power to it. But the focus, I would hope, would be the development of projects that are

employment-oriented, making people feel good about themselves. That is, after all, what we are all about here. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Nerysoo.

Vigilance In Marketing Of Products

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just do want to make a couple of points. One, I am not personally opposed to the idea of the Development Corporation. I think the task that it set for itself is one that is valuable in terms of creating employment, but I do want to say one thing with respect to that, and that is, if you have a product that is capable of even creating a situation where you break even or create a profit for that particular company or that particular venture, I think we should be vigilant about marketing of those products.

I say that, I guess, because I know this government has invested a great deal of money in a project that is located in my home community, and I would challenge anybody in any other bag-making company in this country to make the kind of quality that is made in Fort McPherson, because I think we have a great deal to be proud of in terms of the product that is produced there. The only problem I have is that -- and the Minister knows I have been speaking to him on a number of occasions -- I do not think we do a very good job at marketing that particular product. All I want to have is some assurance that when we deal with the marketing aspect, you not only promote the product but also promote the people that are involved in that product. They themselves have to sell the product. You can send a lot of officials to marketing events, but the simple fact is that people want to see who makes the product, and they take a greater interest in the product because it is made by a particular group of people. I think that is important, and we should use that as an advantage.

Thank you. Mr. Arvaluk.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, if we were approached by a community or if we were approached by a group of people who wanted to do something with that particular product, and it looked reasonable, and it was going to employ people, and there was an end result, certainly I think the board of the Development Corporation would take a look at it. Thank you.

Contributions, Headquarters, Total Capital, Agreed