Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe it is important to address this motion. While audits are necessary in the part of ensuring that governments always operate and manage their resources and deliver services and programs in the best way possible, it is also important to know the context in which they should be used. In short, Mr. Speaker, the motion is addressing two things.
First, we are asking someone from outside the jurisdiction of the Government of the Northwest Territories to look at the way we structure ourselves, the way we govern ourselves, and give us advice on whether or not we are doing it properly and in the best way possible. Mr. Speaker, I say categorically, this is a political decision. It was a political decision some years ago when we decided to take three departments and form one department out of them. It was a political decision made primarily to address the serious fiscal situation we were in at that time, which is not much different from the situation we face today.
It begs the question, can we afford to ask a question? Are we better off to set up another department where we are being currently served, I would say well served, by one department? Who wants to make the motion that will suggest we want to create yet another department, when we are creating this message that we have very few dollars, very few resources to deliver programs and services? That we are trying to convince Ottawa that we are in dire fiscal circumstances and we need special and urgent attention? I would say we cannot afford to ask the question, but it must be asked.
There is not much sense in asking an auditor to do things that we should address ourselves right here in this Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to point out, as I said yesterday and the day before, the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has managed its mandate and delivered its programs and services very well. The results are there. I have outlined the results. It is not like we have not produced anything. We have.
We have delivered things like the Protected Area Strategy. We have delivered on commitments to develop a secondary diamond industry. We are now moving to foster the initial activities of oil and gas companies moving back into the Territories. There is a whole range of initiatives we have done, managed, and brought to the substantial progress stage.
What compels the Members to ask this question? That is not clear to me, but I would say the auditor would find no substance whatsoever in this motion to suggest that he is being asked to do something on a serious basis. There is no substance provided. Is there a problem with the way we do our work? It has not been mentioned. There is no detail. There is no suggestion. It is simply a question asked. The answer could very well be, if you would like, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, to set up two departments. That is your prerogative. I think that is what the auditor would say. Thank you.