Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The budget continues on a fiscally responsible course. We have maintained this over the last several years, ensuring that the books are balanced. It continues to fund the same programs perhaps with a few adjustments here and there, but no radical changes. The budget contains no surprises, except for the decision to use up the surplus. Budgets generally have two purposes. One is to balance the books, and two, is to give a new vision and a renewed momentum to our economic and social priorities. I was surprised that so much emphasis was placed on the Minister's Forum on Education and then the budget included little funding to address the forums recommendations. Now a similar forum
is planned for social services. I hope the approach will be different. We are quickly exhausting the public's patience with all our consulting and no action because of financial restrictions.
On another matter, every time I have gone to discuss matters with people delivering outreach programs like those at the YWCA, the NWT Seniors Society, and the Yellowknife Women's Centre, there is constant discussion of the need for multi-year commitments so staffing can be maintained and people can build on program successes.
On the economic and job creation front, the government just finished spending in the neighbourhood of $0.5 million dollars on developing a new economic strategy. It was my impression that the economic strategy was to identify areas where we could find dollars to invest in the tourism industry, improve existing road systems, further develop the Roads to Resources Initiative and continue building community infrastructure and improve social needs. There is a need to stimulate private sector investment to build a sustainable base for jobs and profits. We need initiatives that will foster trade and investment to bring new money and jobs into our territory. Our small business sector continues to play an ever greater role in our economy. We need incentives to encourage the start-up and expansion of small and medium-sized northern businesses. The economic strategy should have been designed to address our budget needs. We need to figure out how to achieve our potential. I had hoped the economic strategy would do that.
For the immediate future, no sector of the economy holds more promise than the mining industry. Our gold mines have been through a lot of upheaval over the last several years. In the immediate short term, Giant Mine may continue operations, but we need a long-term outlook for this particular operation. As a government we need to be proactive in regard to the problems of Giant Mine. We should be seeking the support of the federal government for an employee/business consortium approach, or to seek other opportunities for operators of this mine, and a plan to address the arsenic cleanup. I would like to see the federal government, through its Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, focus on the economic development needs of our gold mines and our need for value-added industries in the diamond business. Canada has over the last decade sold off much of its gold reserves. Instead of protecting a major segment of our mining industry, the sell-off has helped drive the price of gold to all-time lows.
As a matter of fact, last month the federal government continued with another large sell-off of gold. Canada is a gold producing country. The federal government needs to be constructive and show confidence in the industry by buying gold. At today's low prices, gold is a bargain for government to buy and there are spinoff benefits. The purchases would help stabilize gold prices, and give Ottawa added revenues from royalties from income taxes. In the local economies it would mean employment and corporate taxes to communities. I have suggested before that the northern development part of the DIAND portfolio deserves more attention from the Minister. The north is a large storehouse of mineral, oil and gas wealth. When the rest of Canada benefits from the royalties reaped from these resources, surely we have a right to demand fair effort from the federal government in ensuring the long-term benefits of the north which also benefit all of Canada.
There is an urgent need for the settlement of land claims and then to settle the Northern Accord so that northerners can control northern resource development. Funds received under a Northern Accord can be used to improve such areas as education, health and social services, youth programs and economic development.
That is my statement, Mr. Speaker. I know it is rather short in comparison to other Members, but I thought I would pass on my comments and I appreciate all the Members being here. I know it was a very interesting statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.