Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back in this House with yourself and the rest of my colleagues as we continue the Fifth Session of this 14th Legislative Assembly. Mr. Speaker, I had planned to make a statement full of good news and events that have taken place in Hay River. However, because of a situation that is unfolding as we speak, I feel it is imperative that I voice my concerns.
The issue I am referring to, Mr. Speaker, is the Business Incentive Policy and this government's intentions of cancelling the BIP in order to bring the construction costs of the correctional centre here in Yellowknife in line with projected estimates.
Mr. Speaker, I am not going to say that there are no problems with the BIP policy or that changes are not necessary. I might go as far as to say, Mr. Speaker, that the time may have come to do away with the BIP. The problem that I have with this situation is process.
This government should have learned by now that when they make decisions in isolation, with no input from impacted groups or all Members of this House, then they are guaranteed to receive nothing but a negative response from all concerned.
It is very frustrating, Mr. Speaker, when as a Member of this government, I get questioned about a major decision that has been made on such a big issue as cancelling the BIP and the people who are asking the questions know more about it than I do, simply because I happened to miss a radio news broadcast.
There are many reasons as to why this project's costs are in a runaway mode. Mr. Speaker, it is time to look at how this project was designed from day one and why the decision was made to build it in Yellowknife. It certainly was not from a cost-saving point of view. In my mind, it is another indication that the vacuum was in full operation.
It has been mentioned by some, Mr. Speaker, that living conditions for inmates in this facility will be far more glamorous than what most of our law-abiding citizens can afford. It will be full of recreational equipment that most of our communities can only dream about. Mr. Speaker, there is far more wrong with this project than what cancelling the BIP can rectify. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I say this is not the time to cancel the BIP.
I suggest, Mr. Speaker, that if there are huge problems with this project, then maybe the government should get rid of the project manager and take control of this project and use the same approach that the Minister of Education used in Hay River when we tried to get changes made to the Princess Alexandra School project to better meet the needs of the community. His answer, Mr. Speaker, "You can make all the changes you want, but there is no more money." Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and happy birthday to you.
-- Applause