Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regards to the Premier's statement in his opening remarks, is that we have been here almost a year, I raised this question last year when we got elected. It is the whole question about fairness and equity to all regions, based on the statistics that we have in front of us. Yet in my riding, it is great to say, coming from areas where there is activity, and also where there are employment opportunities, but there are areas where we do not have the economic base, we do not have the economic opportunities, and also, we do not receive the fair capital expenditures like some other regions.
My riding consists of almost 2,000 people, and gets something like one million dollars a year in capital. Yet there are other areas which range from eight to nine million dollars. We are talking about fairness and generating economic opportunity, especially making the comment that this government does not generate employment opportunities or economic opportunities. I find it kind of an insult, knowingly, that a lot of these capital projects, what they are there for in a lot of these other ridings, they do generate employment, they do have spin-offs to those communities or ridings that they are in.
Looking at the capital expenditures for the next couple of years, I see that nothing has changed. We are sitting at the same level of capital expenditures, about one million dollars. Yet there are still projects being taken out of the budget, especially in the areas of Aklavik and places which have not been fairly treated over the years, in regards to health centres, renovations, and other projects that they have been looking at, in regards to developing infrastructure. Also, in regards to the whole question about employment opportunities. You can send all the people to where all the jobs and train them, but if the opportunities are not there, I think that we have to seriously look at generating those opportunities so people can stay in their communities or their regions.
In regards to the Mackenzie Delta, we have had an oil and gas boom in the past, and that is an economic opportunity that we have to make an attempt to get back, and make an emphasis on companies out of Calgary, and other areas to show that there is still an interest by the communities and regions to support that activity, and start looking at lobbying those areas, instead of just putting all of our money in the mining basket, diamonds. It is great for that area, but in my area, we have been in a slump for a number of years, because of the downturn in the oil and gas activities.
Yet there are moneys being spent to lobby industry, especially in the mining industry, but there is no money really spent in areas such as the Mackenzie Delta, to lobby the oil and gas industry. There has to be an attempt made to improve the economic conditions in those areas. There are funds going to other regions to start consultation between industry, such as the mining companies, also the oil and gas companies, but I think that, in regards to the Mackenzie Delta, there is interest being shown by the oil and gas industry which attended the board meeting in Aklavik two weeks ago. They are interested in coming back. But that message has to be given by this government also. We have to show that we are interested in generating economic opportunities, employment opportunities in those areas that do not have it.
Also, in regards to the whole question about division. We talk about division in the context of wanting two strong territories after division. But that also has to mean strong regions. In regards to having an economic base and also having infrastructure in place so that we can deliver those programs and services at the regional level, such as the Inuvik Health Centre, hospital, we have to start finding new areas and looking at exactly what these programs and services are going to look like after division. The costs to administer programs and services in the west and in the east.
The other area is the constitutional process in the west. This government has made public statements that it is a priority, but it has to put it's money where it's mouth is, and support this ambition financially, without using the argument, well, it is the federal government's responsibility, let us wait for them. I do not think we can afford to wait any longer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.