Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Following on my earlier line of questions in the area of resource management and economic development, in the tourism sector, when we referred to the positions that were vacant and look to be filled by the department in the tourism sector, the Minister stated that there needs to be some presence within the department unless we go to a tourism authority.

Here might be the opportunity to look at doing that and going that route. Why not now in the sense of the time that is there? It would help the tourism association to better promote the work -- they have done great work as everyone said, with the funds they had -- and it would really tie, in a sense, the department with clear linkage to them through an authority. They are well on their way. They have developed, and they are ready to take on more challenges in that sense, and any available dollars could be utilized by them to further expand on the services they are providing to their membership.

Maybe I could have the Minister expand on that. Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, as I said before, I do not want us to make, as I referred to, knee-jerk reactions. I think we have to look very carefully at it. There was a study done by the NWT Tourism Association looking at the merits of going to a tourism authority model. It has pros and cons, and I think you would find a lot of different views in the industry. I think we would want to look at that carefully, do a fair bit of consultation, beside what the industry feels would be best for them. I think you will find a lot of mixed feeling. I would not want to make that decision for them. Thank you.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That at least sounds like the door is open, and if it is, because there has been some looking at it already by the tourism association, would there be a time line as we are looking forward to hearing from them as a result of their work?

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, I am aware of the study that was done, and I really have not heard much about it recently. I would want to talk to the tourism association first before trying to set any sort of time line on it.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I hope that is an avenue as we are looking at trying to increase how we can support, with resources, the NWT Arctic Tourism. That might be one of the avenues if it is accepted from their organization. I agree that the Minister will need to work closely with them on that initiative. Going back to my earlier question again and it was brought up through the process of the Hotel Room Tax Act, through discussions with the NWTAT and the Minister himself of a $375,000 that was talked about reallocating initially on the condition of the tax going through.

My first question is the Minister, I feel, gave a lukewarm reception to the fact of keeping those dollars there. I would like to get the Minister to hopefully firm up that commitment so it is there and they will have to look at the overall plan and see how to best use those dollars, but the fact that those dollars will be there for the use through the department and the NWTAT.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, as I have said before, I fully intend to try to find that $375,000 and allocate it to tourism. We are probably having a lot less flexibility the next year here at least, so I will have to look at what the options are for us to consider. I am not sure where the tourism association's plans will be at either because they are part of this.

Just going back for a minute to the notion of a tourism authority, one of the proposals in the study that they had done was a $3 million increase in tourism. I do not think they are very eager to take on more with an empty bank. So they are looking at this as well from what is in it for them.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that is at least a step in the right direction and I hope to see them continue to work with them in that area. One of the suggestions made by one of the presenters that came forward in the area of alternative funding is the existing fees that are paid by the outfitters and operators out there and establishment owners. There are fees paid out that go to this government whether it be a licence fee for carrying on a business and so on and they are quite substantial after a while. Is that avenue open that they could look at using those fees if they become an authority, for example?

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, that is something we would have to negotiate in the event of them becoming an authority. Being an alternative for funds for them, there is about $300,000 or $350,000 that is generated through licences and fees directly into tourism. To take that and give it to tourism or use that argument is just taking from one pocket, because it is already government revenues, and putting it in the other pocket. When I talked to the Minister of Finance, he was not that keen on that one.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Another area, and I am going on a letter I received this afternoon from the Dene Nation, is the Minister of Finance stated in his budget address that there is a surplus of a couple of million dollars in this fiscal year. That would be an avenue that is a high priority of this government and Members of this Assembly state that and present that to the Finance Minister. Hopefully he would take that and allow the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development to have those dollars.

One specific question, Mr. Chairman, is in the area of contributions. There is one area in the main estimates proposed for this year where there is no longer any funding. In the previous year, the revised estimates for 2000-2001 is $500,000 contributions various, contributions and support for natural resource, environmental and economic development issues. There is no longer any funds identified there. Can we get some explanation of that? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, the comment on the first part, we are projecting a $2 million surplus for the end of this coming fiscal year. Before we can commit to putting that into tourism, we have to look at all the priorities. Today we heard about the priority on FAS/FAE and we have so many priorities where we could spend that $2 million. It is an option, but we have to look at it as a government. With regard to the $500,000 decrease that the Member is referring to, that is the one-time contribution that we had made to the Aboriginal Pipeline Group.

Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can the Minister inform us as to how many strategies and studies are ongoing within his department and the value of those? Thank you.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Roland. The Minister is offering that information. How soon would you like it?