Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to raise concerns about the memorandum of understanding that was signed with the Gwich'in regarding contracts in the Beaufort-Delta communities, especially the impact there would be on my constituency of Inuvik, all the more so, Mr. Speaker, in light of a correspondence I received that was sent to the president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council by the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development laying out what contracts and what projects would be included in there. There is a list that shows about 133 projects and values approximately $29 million, Mr. Speaker.
But Mr. Speaker, as I go through that list, my concerns are highlighted and I am sure the constituents and the small business people in Inuvik, whether they are aboriginal people or non-aboriginal people, will be greatly concerned because included in this amount are such things as electrical power supply to the communities. That is not a private, small company. It is the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, NorthwesTel phone services, natural gas supply. Those things are huge in volume and high in dollar amounts and I do not even have how much they would total. But when I look at the list and see the value is approximately $29 million I have to ask where this money is coming from because as we went through the budget there is no $29 million figure that I can find in there. There are a few projects like the campus, some other small projects, some highway and airport stuff, but not $29 million worth.
So if you add in the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, the gas supply, if you put those into the picture and you say that the memorandum of understanding has a potential value of $29 million and that other bidders in the community can take half of that, well, you take out half that amount from there and you take out the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and the natural gas supply and the telephone services there will be peanuts left for anybody else trying to secure any work. Those are long established businesses, so I will have questions for the appropriate Minister later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause