Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been quite a bit of controversy recently over negotiated contracts. I want to make it very clear that I can appreciate the benefit of negotiated contracts in some circumstances. If employed properly and when the intended objectives are realized, negotiated contracts can do a great deal of good in developing our northern economy. What I have been suggesting, and what may not be understood, is that I believe it is time to assess and evaluate negotiated contracts as a business incentive tool to determine if they are being used to the benefit of developing northern labour and markets, and if they are being directed where they are most needed and if the premium sometimes paid to negotiate a contract is a cost which can be rationalized to the benefits obtained.
It has been approximately 12 years since the negotiated contract policy was developed. It is time to articulate what we have accomplished, in which instances we have achieved benefits and in which cases we have not translated into real benefits. I believe it can be safely stated that economic initiatives such as negotiated contracts, the Business Incentive Policy, business development fund contributions, economic development agreements, et cetera, have aided in bringing about the current reality whereby greater than 90 percent of all government purchases of goods and services are provided by northern companies. That having been accomplished, we need to assess what has worked and what has not worked, what may now be obsolete given the diminished role of southern bidders in the northern market place. For example, the Business Incentive Policy is an adjustment applied to all contracts. If all bidders are northern BIP registered companies, perhaps we need to look at the cost of administering this registry and applying this adjustment to all contracts.
Has there been a shift, a sufficient shift, in the purchasing philosophy in government departments and agencies where we could safely trust that this type of protection for northern companies is no longer an issue? Are issues of market disruption, political peace, transparency, cost efficiency and fairness being addressed by current practices of Business Incentive Policies, such as negotiated contracts? Recently, at a meeting of the NWT Chamber of the Commerce in Hay River, a motion was passed which is an interesting suggestion. The motion was that the GNWT be encouraged to publish, Mr. Speaker, I am going to have to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.