Thank you, Madam Chair. When we initiated this procurement policy, followed by a BIP, it was set up to protect northern businesses and northern workers from southern workers, and I think the intent of that was very good. I think what has happened now, we are protecting northerners from northerners.

I think it may have some merit if we keep a policy but we have some form or some sense of competition. We are not that big in the Northwest Territories that we need protection from each other. If, by this policy, we are setting up companies in smaller communities, construction companies, and we have cut our construction budget in half, what happens to these companies for the other 10 months of the year? That goes for hotels and all the rest. If we are cutting our budget and there is no exterior construction other than government construction, what are these companies going to be doing that have had the protection of BIP previously? If we accept that there is very little construction in communities, other than government sponsored, what are these companies going to do? Thank you.