Thank you, Madam Chair. First, to tourism in the Beaufort-Delta. I think it is not only specific to that region, but we do know that the more infrastructure investments we are able to make, the more successful our tourism industry will be. I would acknowledge that it is difficult for the Member's communities -- Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Holman and Sachs -- with their limited access. I would acknowledge that it is expensive for people to fly into these communities in order to be able to spend tourism dollars. That is an additional challenge for tourism operators when they are sitting down to develop product. As the Member knows, we continue to have discussions as an Assembly and as a Cabinet on our funding priorities around infrastructure. I know that my Cabinet colleagues and the Minister of Transportation have heard the Member's comments and, I am sure, considering them right now in relation to the road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk.
The Member also raised some concerns and wants some clarification around the Mackenzie Valley pipeline office. We have hired a communication officer who is currently employed here temporarily and moving this month to Hay River. There is office space. I didn't mean to mislead Members. There is office space already constructed in Hay River. What we are doing is having tenant improvements made. Public Works has handled that process for us. It has been contracted out and should be ready, we are told, by the end of March and will be fitted up and ready for those offices.
This really amounts to phase one in terms of our government's response to resourcing oil and gas. This is only the first phase, only the first approach we have taken here. I think we need to do more. I have asked the department to go back and look at options for adequately resourcing our oil and gas response in the valley. I think that is what I would like to focus my efforts on now, instead of talking about moving our already limited resources around. I think we know we need this capability on behalf of this government. We feel it is adequately located in Hay River and are very optimistic about the role this office will play, but would acknowledge that we need to look to future resourcing in other communities in the valley as well. I want to assure the Member that we certainly haven't forgotten about that. I have tasked the department with coming back with some options. I will certainly be prepared to sit down and discuss those with committee at that point. Thank you.