Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not often that I get an opportunity to stand here and throw compliments to Members of the cabinet on a job well done. However, today I am pleased to give credit where credit is due. Earlier this month, the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. Don Morin, brought forward a revised business incentive policy. This improved policy will allow northern businesses a greater opportunity to receive GNWT contracts. I was particularly happy to see this policy now apply to all authorities that receive over half their funding from the GNWT. This is long overdue.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Morin was also able to convince CMHC to allow this policy to apply with respect to the Housing Corporation contracts. This is surely a major breakthrough. Many past Ministers have attempted to convince CMHC to accept this provision. Mr. Morin has succeeded in getting it done. Perhaps we should allow Mr. Morin to undertake more negotiations with the federal government, considering his stunning success.
-- Applause
It would certainly be really stunning if he could convince the NWT Power Corporation to accept a similar policy. It is no secret that I have long been a major opponent of an absolute preference for northern businesses who bid on GNWT contracts. While the revised policy does not go this far, it does indeed represent a substantive improvement that should see a large reduction in the dollars flowing south.