Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I agree with the honourable Member, that this money should be managed in the North by a northern government. It should be through our institutions. We've got existing ways of supporting small businesses, so we would like to have our $30 million share managed here.

Mr. Speaker, going further, I know our Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment will also be talking with the federal Minister of DIAND about a long-term EDA, so we're not going every few years looking for a little bit more money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Handley. Before I go on, Members, I'd like to draw your attention to the gallery today and recognize the following visiting dignitaries under the northern dimension of Canada's foreign policy outreach program: Mr. Jack Anawak, ambassador for circumpolar affairs...

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Mr. Lorenz Friedlaender, ambassador of Canada to Sweden...

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Mr. Richard Tetu, ambassador of Canada to Iceland...

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Ms. Fredericka Gregory, ambassador of Canada to Denmark...

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Ms. Jillian Stirk, ambassador of Canada to Norway...

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Ms. Anne-Marie Boucier, ambassador of Canada to Finland...

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Mr. Jeffrey Parker, consul general to Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska...

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Mr. Michael Small, director general, Human Security and Human Rights Bureau...

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Mr. Pierre Guimond, director, Eastern Europe and Balkans division...

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also our chief of protocol, Carmen Moore, in the gallery.

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I want to welcome you all to the House today and I hope you're enjoying your tour of Yellowknife, and the Chamber, and the House. Thank you.

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Oral questions. The honourable Member from Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, it's very tempting to just say yes to the question, but it's a very difficult question, Mr. Speaker, for a number of reasons. One of the things that we've recognized is that government procurement is no longer the only game in town. With mines and oil and gas, we've got a very vibrant private sector. There are businesses taking good advantage of that sector and making their livelihood that way. So the BIP isn't as relevant as it used to be.

I've had discussions with the Finance Minister about potential removal of the BIP. If we are able to remove the BIP, we know we'd save some administrative money. I know, and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has told us that NWT businesses are interested in reduction of red tape and a more competitive taxation regime. We think we can trade that for the BIP which is no longer as compelling as it was in the past. But I'm open to discussion with businesses. We are consulting. The Chamber of Commerce is out hearing from businesses. We want to know that they think, Mr. Speaker. I think that's the important part.

What I'm not interested in is an overly convoluted, complex, additional bureaucratic regime. If we talk about ensuring that only true northern businesses with only northern employees would reap the rewards of some sort of protectionist policy, it's very obvious to recognize that we can't be policing and auditing everybody to ensure that they spend all of their time in the Northwest Territories, all of the money stays here. I don't want to add layers of bureaucracy and complexity. So I'm open to discussion. But let's keep the goals in mind: competitive taxation and reduction of the regulatory burden. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't think it would get any more complicated. In fact, I think it would be much simpler. Either you're northern, or your not. Either your employees live here, or they don't. Either you live here, or you don't. To me, it's quite simple. There's been some concerns, because of the discussion here in the House recently. There's been concerns in the business community about the two percent reduction in tax rate for small businesses. I'd like the Minister to maybe just elaborate a little bit further on this. Who qualifies as a small business, and what will this reduction, what would it cost us? Can the Minister make a commitment to see this reduction through, regardless of what discussions happen on the future of BIP? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Chair heard about three questions there. The Minister can answer one or all three. Mr. Bell.

There are a number of them, Mr. Speaker. I'll try to be as concise as I can. One of the options on the table, if we're able to do away with the BIP and save some money in administration, one of the things that I approached the Finance Minister with was the potential of taking our small business tax rate from four percent to two percent; really a 50 percent reduction. The small business rate applies to income; a net income geared up to $300,000. So anything above the $300,000 mark has the corporate business tax rate applied...We know we just talked about reducing that from 14 to 11.5. So I've approached the Finance Minister. We've discussed a number of options that we're able to save money on BIP administration. This was but one of the options that we discussed. I would say, though, that I doubt he's going to be amenable to the tax break without a reduction of administration. We've got to pay for it somehow, Mr. Speaker. So obviously I'm not in a position to be able to decide what tax rates are applied. That's the Finance Minister's decision and the Cabinet's decision. But I do know that the premise was that if we could save administrative money, we could plough it back into the competitiveness of our small businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess too many questions on this, and it is a sensitive issue for many people here in the Northwest Territories. I guess the last question I'll ask, and I'll try to keep it to one question, what is the time frame for the government's decisions regarding the business incentive policy and where we're going with this? I think it's important that we get this time frame out there so that businesses and residents here know what exactly the government's game plan is regarding the business incentive policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, I've met with the NWT chamber. I do intend to meet with the other local chambers. The NWT chamber is conducting a survey now of its membership. I think they've given them a month to respond. We'll take that feedback; take the feedback that we've heard from the Governance and Economic Development committee, and we'd like to make a decision this spring or early summer. I'm not interested in a year-and-a-half consultation exercise where we go far and wide and discuss a wide range of potential options. Governments previous have done that to no avail. It comes down to political will. Either we decide that it's more important to lower our tax rates and have a competitive regime, or it's apparently more important to say with this what I believe

is an outdated protectionist policy. I don't say that in an absolutely negative manner, Mr. Speaker. I think the point here is that this was once very relative and very compelling and helped northern businesses get established. I just don't think it's doing the job anymore, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger. Mr. Speaker, I was not on the standing committee that reviewed the personal directives bill, but I understand that a lot of concerns were raised about how the new act and the options that it provides would be communicated to elders, and especially those who do not speak English. My question for the Minister today is, what public education is being done, especially to reach out to the elders to make them aware of the act, where they can go to get assistance in drafting a personal directive? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in December of '05, a contractor was hired and tasked with developing a story line and script to introduce the subject of personal directives to the public, and that this work would be translated into all the official languages of the NWT as well. So we will cover audio recordings in Cree, Chipewyan, English, French, Gwich'in, Innuinaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tlicho. A brochure and samples will also be prepared. To date, English, French, South Slavey and Tlicho have been recorded. The remaining languages will be recorded and ready by March 17th. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister. I'd like to ask the Minister, though, what support and training is the department providing to health care professionals so that they understand their obligations when they come across a personal directive, and also so that they can make patients aware, in appropriate circumstances, of their right to make a personal directive? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a commitment made when we brought this bill forward that there would be the necessary training done. As this work is rolled out, there will be accompanying information and work done with the health centres, boards and authorities to make sure the staff are conversant in this legislation and are able to work with the individuals that may be interested to use the samples and brochures that are there, as well as access the CDs and other media work that's being done, which will be sent out upon completion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize a commitment was made. I was more wondering where we are at with that commitment, but I am going to move on to my last question. In practical terms, a personal directive is not of much use if a person's family members and health care professionals are not aware that it exists. I understand that the act allows for the department to establish a registry of personal directives, which people could consult to find out whether an incapacitated person has made a directive. Has the department taken any steps, to date, to establish that registry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.