Mr. Ootes, go ahead.
Debates of Feb. 26th, 1997
Topics
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 913
The Chair John Ningark
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am very supportive of this motion. The tourism industry in the Northwest Territories is the second largest industry, not counting government. They are the creators of a lot of quality jobs, both seasonal and full time jobs throughout the territory. In the western part of the territories alone, tourism contributes 500 jobs. They contribute $16 million in labour income, $21 million in tax revenues, and $75 million in total contributions to the GDP. I feel by cutting funding to these particular organizations, we are taking away from the very people that can contribute to our economy. Since the federal ADA program has been cut, this particular industry has seen some $330,000 removed. They need assistance and they need help. If they do not have the opportunity for funding to go to international trade shows, consumer shows and to do tourism training, then in effect it is the people throughout the territories that are going to be suffering out of this. My position is, Mr. Chairman, I think it is very important funding in this area be reinstated. Thank you.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. To the motion. Question is being called. All those in favour? Hands up please. Down. Opposed? The motion is carried. Resource management and economic development. I have, Mr. Henry.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On resource management and economic development, I am wondering if the Minister can tell me, I will hold my question for half a minute, the area of much concern is in the fur industry. What I would be interested in knowing is how much have we been spending over the last few years to promote the fur industry? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I take it the honourable Minister will be advised of the question by his officials. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is asking how much money this government has spent in promoting the fur industry in the last few years. I am not certain what he means by promoting. If he means how much money have we spent in support of groups, then I think we can answer that. It basically ranges between $15,000 to $30,000 a year.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Henry.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the Minister has part of the question I was proposing correct. What I am interested in finding out, comparing that to the amount of revenue generated was what I was leading to. How much are we spending promoting the fur industry, more from the point of view of resources we are expending against the fur lobby as opposed to what funds we are generating from it for this government? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Henry. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have quite a range of different ways we support the fur and traditional harvesting activity. For instance, we have contributed and will have contributed a total of $15 million to the Nunavut Wildlife Harvesters Program by the time we are finished. Our total contribution in support of that trust will be $50 million. The same will be true for our contribution to harvesters assistance programs and trust set up here in the western part of the territories.
We are providing money in support of a minimum price program for certain species of wildlife trapped by people in the Northwest Territories. We provide some money and make grants available to people who work on trying to invent new, more humane traps. We provide money for organized community hunts. We provide money to local wildlife committees, as well as regional wildlife organizations. We do provide quite a diverse series of ways in which we provide money to harvesters in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I have Mr. Henry, Mr. Steen, and Mr. Krutko. Mr. Henry.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am not sure if the Minister has answered this. He told me there was $30,000 spent on promoting the fur industry. If the Minister can comment on that again, I am also interested in knowing if the department has a bottom line on when they will consider there is nothing to be gained in fighting the anti-lobby, anti-fur promoters especially in Europe. They have resources available to them much larger than what we have as a government in the Northwest Territories and potentially in Canada. Does the department have a line drawn in the sand which they will conceive that we cannot change people's attitudes, especially in Europe, regarding the purchase of furs harvested in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It has been in spite of the activity of certain political bodies in Europe, the price of fur has rebounded dramatically in the last year from a very low period over the last five or ten years. Prices for fur have increased dramatically this year. I hope it will continue. There is no magic line we draw in regard to the support we will provide to this activity. I think again, once we develop this economic framework, Members of the Legislature will have a better structured way of assessing how many resources should go into these different sectors based on the measurable returns we have, plus the more subjective type of value we put on these activities. We will probably move towards taking all these little pots of money we make available to hunters and trappers across the territories and tally it up under this activity, so the Member can see how much we do in support of timber harvesting in the Northwest Territories as compared to support for hunters and trappers as compared to the money we spend on promoting fishing. That is where we would be leading towards.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Henry.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister has told us about the price of fur increasing. How much would have been purchased in Europe in the last year? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 914
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The total returns on the fur last year was in a little excess of $2 million. The majority of that fur is purchased in Europe. Thank you.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Resource management and economic development. I have Mr. Steen, Mr. Krutko, and Mr. Roland. Mr. Steen.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could we get a breakdown of these grants and contributions of the $24,360,000?
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Steen, do you want to wait until we get to the detail of the grants and contributions?
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I was not aware that this is the same money. I have total contributions under details of grants and contributions on page 11-25, $24,485,000 compared to $24,360,000. I was not aware this was the same money. Is it?
Committee Motion 27-13(4): Recommendation To Return Funding For The NWT Arctic Tourism Association To Historical Levels
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 915
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I am advised that most of it is under resource management and economic development. I am told the Minister might be able to answer. Mr. Minister.