Thank you, Madam Chair. I am glad to have a few opening comments or general comments on ITI. It is a very important time right now in the history of the Northwest Territories with all of the resource development that is going on. I believe ITI is going to have a big role to play in how businesses and all the opportunities that will be coming down the pipe.
I am pleased to see that the corporate tax is being lowered to 11.5 percent. Hopefully this will allow some companies, especially home-grown companies, to register in the North and file in the North, and then we can take advantage of some of the corporate tax. Still, many people out there are trying to live a traditional lifestyle. With the cost of living and everything, it is getting harder and harder for these people to try and earn a living off the land, but it is still something that they love to do. I am always glad to see the support that ITI gives to people trying to live their traditional lifestyle. I will always be a big supporter of any new initiatives that will help them do that because it is really hard now, as many people have stated, to try and earn a living off the land. ITI seems to be doing what they can to try and assist them. It is always appreciated.
I am in full support of the opening of the oil and gas sub-office in Inuvik. I probably have a few questions for the Minister later on into that operation. I would like to see the sub removed. Probably one of my questions is sub-office of where. There are a couple of positions going up in there. It is something that the leadership in Inuvik had always concern with: the lack of government presence in the community. As we know, the hearings are going on in Inuvik. There are just people from all over and people from all of the departments. I am kind of hoping all the departments have good travel budgets because they are going to be spending a lot of time in Inuvik. It is good for Inuvik and the local economy. They are bringing some money into the community. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time on the positions that are going into Inuvik.
I was glad to see some money going into tourism. I have always believed that the Northwest Territories has so much to offer all over. I would like to see ITI work closely with Transportation and lobby Ottawa and see if we can get this Mackenzie Valley highway started. If we have to
take the initiative and go start cutting willows ourselves, then it is something that we should do, but the potential that this highway is going to bring to the Northwest Territories is just unlimited. It is just going to open up the whole territory. I have spoken to that a few times. Tourism would be right at the top of the list.
Just in closing, with all the increased activity that is going on in the Northwest Territories, I believe ITI is going to be a very busy department. A lot of people are going to be wanting assistance or advice in getting business started to take advantage of some of these opportunities that are going to come with the Mackenzie gas project, so I will have a few questions for Minister Bell at the appropriate pages in the detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.