Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I as well would like to speak in favour of the motion and, Mr. Speaker, when I came for this Session to Yellowknife, I had my Member's statement on the business incentive policy as number one. But seeing as this is such an important issue and the Minister wasn't in the House I held back on it. Then I was going to make it today, but then I couldn't because there was a motion on the floor. So, I will make it, probably some of this will sound like a Member's statement.

The issue that we speak of, this business incentive policy; way back some years ago, the Minister introduced some changes to the business incentive policy and it goes right to the very heart of the business community in Hay River. The business incentive policy, of course, as it is so unaffectionately known, has been around for a long time. As you're aware, Mr. Speaker, quite some time ago Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development embarked on a public consultation process to review the business incentive policy. At that time, I was very much in favour of this review process. Policies and procedures that are put in place by this government should be reviewed from time to time to see if they are effective for the people that we serve.

Mr. Speaker, the department heard in Hay River that the general public also heard that the intent of the business incentive policy as an economic tool to promote, create and maintain jobs and opportunities in the North was being met. The concerns that were raised at that same time were companies that Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development should be better policing -- companies that were registered under the business incentive policy -- that the contract award process should be more transparent to the public.

Mr. Speaker, in the recent release of the new business incentive policy regulations what puzzles me the most in the review process that Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development embarked on was, were the results already preordained? Were the results of the new business incentive policy known to Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development prior to the public review process? It would appear very much so, Mr. Speaker, to me and to the business community because most of the concerns that were raised by the businesses in Hay River did not show up in the business incentive policy recommendations that came forward. Not one person at the meetings, Mr. Speaker, stated that the scope of the policy should exclude hospital boards and education authorities from using the business incentive policy to evaluate construction contracts or make purchases. Not one person stated that the business incentive policy thresholds be changed. It has left me to wonder where or from whom did the Minister hear this during the public review process?

Mr. Speaker, also in the business incentive policy there was a manufacturing component. Certainly the manufacturing community from Hay River didn't advocate for that component to be removed from the business incentive policy. Where did the Minister hear this from in the public review process?

Mr. Speaker, there is little in the revised business incentive policy that addresses the business community's concerns with store fronting. In fact, many businesses feel that the policy will see store fronting increase and that the changes are being made to meet their needs.

I would like to state, Mr. Speaker, that I'm very disturbed and somewhat angered that the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development would implement revisions to an important policy like the business incentive policy that has far reaching ramifications to our large business sector without the consent of Members of this House. This flies in the face of one of the pillars of our legislature: Consensus government.

Mr. Speaker, in recent information sessions that were held by the department on the revisions to the business incentive policy in Hay River there were some good things that came out and they were addressed as being good things in the revision of the business incentive policy. I would hope that the Minister would take notice of about what was said about the good changes in the policy. One of the things that was very concerning to me during those information sessions was the fact that the staff that was doing the information session took down a whole bunch of concerns on a flipchart as if it was the very first time that they were hearing these concerns. The very same concerns that were brought up were brought up in the last session in this House when the Minister had stated that it was still open to changes and review, yet not one of the recommendations that was in place at that time have changed; not one thing. That was very concerning to me and to most of the people in the room, Mr. Speaker.

Also, Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that was brought up by the people doing the information session was the fact that people that were going to be administering the new BIP policy out in the field, were going to be trained properly to know how to address issues with the business community. In talking to some people out in the field there has been no training other than a letter gone to them saying these are the changes and this is what we want you to implement. In looking at that issue, I find it hard to imagine how you can address the issue of better policing of the business incentive policy. I don't believe, Mr. Speaker, that the people out in the field are anywhere close to being able to address the new business incentive policy. There has been no training going on other than the letter that went out saying these are the changes that we are going to make and this is what we are going to do. There is even a deadline put on to totally change the business registry and I think it is October 15, if I am not mistaken, that all business that are registered under the business incentive policy now, will be wiped out, totally wiped off the chart and only business that are registered, re-registered on the 15th, will be considered under the business incentive policy.

I hear of all kinds of implications and problems that people are having trying to get re-registered. One of the problems that was raised was what happens if a contract comes due on the 16th of October and we don't have all of these things ironed out yet or somebody has not been able to meet the re-registration process or have all the documentation in place, they may lose contracts, we don't know that. So, Mr. Speaker, I am hoping that the Minister will do the right thing and give this the time and consideration that it needs to the public and take some of the recommendations that are coming out that are good. We don't have to make all kinds of substantial changes. If we know there are some good ones that everyone supports, why don't we make some small changes to the business incentive policy? I am hoping that the Minister will do the right thing and rescind this policy until we have had better time to look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.