Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join a couple of my colleagues today who have spoken about northern manufacturing. Northern manufacturing is an important contributor to the economy. If we do not develop it and support it, we could lose a significant amount of direct employment. With the multiplier effect, an even larger number of spin-off jobs.
The Northern Manufacturer's Association estimates there are 60 manufacturing firms in the Northwest Territories employing 600 people. As Mr. Bell has noted, there are countless others involved in manufacturing who do not even think that is what they do.
Someone who crafts birch bark baskets or who makes moccasins or the person who sews a parka to sell is also manufacturing.
Mr. Speaker, northern manufactured products are typically designed to meet harsh northern conditions, which also means they offer good potential for export. For eight years, Frame Lake included a large number of manufacturing firms and I worked closely with several to help them move towards marketing their northern manufactured items. Companies like Fiberglass North, marketing tanks, and who are developing fibreglass power poles. They are receiving requests for information from Europe and all across the Americas. Energy Wall and Building Products have just recently received national certification for their new wall system and are working on certification in the U.S. market.
Mr. Speaker, over the years, this government has spent millions of dollars helping northern manufacturers develop products. Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development has had tremendous foresight in this area, and has helped generate a lot of jobs in the Northwest Territories through this support. However, Mr. Speaker, northern manufacturers are concerned that the support given by Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development may not be reflected by all other areas of this government.
Fuel tank manufacturers, fibreglass tank manufacturers and others are concerned that there could be a lot more commitment and support shown, for instance, by the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, we need a government-wide commitment to support northern manufacturers. Otherwise we could be wasting the good investments made by Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.
We need to know the Northern Manufacturer's Directive will be supported by all GNWT agencies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause