Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I wish to give my strong support for the NWT Development Corporation. Mr. Speaker, this corporation creates jobs in small communities like the ones I represent, where the private sector won't go. This corporation creates jobs for people who otherwise wouldn't have them.

Across the Territories, Mr. Speaker, 80 per cent of the people who work in Development Corporation projects are aboriginal, 65 per cent are women and 46 per cent the sole income for single families. I understand that in 1996, the Development Corporation will spend about $17 million in the Northwest Territories. Of that, $9.5 million will be spent employing about 1,200 people and the rest will go to northern businesses. To conduct themselves, the Development Corporation will spend a total of $5.6 million of government contributions of all kinds; including subsidies, purchases of assets and working capital and administration costs. For an expenditure of about 32 cents...(inaudible)...including investments, the Government of the Northwest Territories will put $1 directly in the territorial economy through its Development Corporation, if we just count up the cost of head office and loss allowance and not investments.

It costs the government only 16 cents to create $1 in the Northwest Territories. The economy in my riding, the Uqqurmiut Weave Shop employs 15 to 20 people a year. Since it began, Uqqurmiut is projected to expend up to 1998, $3.5 million in purchases and payments to the artists.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.