Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the fund was announced, and I believe it was in the federal budget address for 2004, we also anticipated that that money would flow like the previous northern economic development funds; or, better yet, flow directly to our government through our lending institutions to be available to small businesses.
Mr. Speaker, over the years since then, myself and the other two territorial Premiers argued that that money should be divided up to each territory and through the existing institutions. The Minister responsible for northern development of the day thought it should be managed by the federal government. We were not given direct access to it. Mr. Speaker, late in the last calendar year, our government was approached to see if we could use some of the money. Two point four million was largely for geotechnical work. Other than that, I believe one or two business may have benefited, but, Mr. Speaker, it's been frustrating because we have not had an ability to be able to manage that money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.