Thank you. Before I go on, I'm just going to take a moment to recognize a former Member of this government, a former MLA visiting us in the gallery, Bill Lafferty and his wife Ernestine. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly.

---Applause

Environmental Protection Services

We'll go to page 11-13, environmental protection services, operations expense, total operations expense, $1.937 million.

We're on page 11-15, environmental protection services, contributions, total contributions, $580,000.

We'll go on to 11-17, resource management and economic development, operations expense, total operations expense, $36,270 million. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In this area here I wanted to ask about a specific part of our tourism industry, and about the support that this government gives to the NWT Arctic Tourism Association, Mr. Chairman. Specifically, I understand that the tourism training component, which has been delivered by NWT Arctic Tourism for the past three or four years, has fallen on hard times and may not be continuing. I'm wondering if the department can advise on any information that it has there, and any options that we might be considering continuing this really vital aspect of our tourism industry. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is a very reassuring message. If I have it right, Mr. McLeod is saying that the department wants to ensure that the program survives. I don't have a lot of background information on just what the situation may be there. The tourism industry does indeed have its ups and downs. But can I take that as an assurance that there will not be any interruption in the programming that is underway now?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm pleased to hear on the training side that we're going to have continuity. The programs that we have arrangements with the Arctic tourism organization, are they also assured...There's some indication of some financial problems there. Are we working with the organization to help see them through? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. The Chair will recognize Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under resource management and economic development, there are a number of areas that I have some concerns with. It's more, I guess, past experience. For example, when we went through a lot of reduction scenarios, the Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, more wildlife officers, I guess is the term -- renewable resources officers, I guess they used to be termed, I think they're still along those lines. There were some additional responsibilities put on to them as part of their existing duties, but there wasn't really any other resources to address the extra workload. There were some training initiatives put in place, and so on. I'd like to know if the Minister has in fact done anything to improve on this, because we have situations where a lot of their responsibility as officers is to go out on the land. That's where they need to be. With the reductions that happened, there was less and less of that happening. I must say, though, the crew in the Inuvik region have done quite a job with the resources they have, so I have to acknowledge that. Have there been any changes here to up the amount of resources that offices would have? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What about in the area of equipment? Snow machines, trucks, boats, especially in the communities. A renewable resources officer uses those to a large degree. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.