Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on it. I think the motion really speaks loud and clear to the issue. The fact is that northern businesses work and struggle here in the North to provide a good living, and they need opportunities presented for them. The BIP offers this opportunity and sometimes that competitive edge so they can compete successfully against southern contractors who fly in and take sort of the ripe or the prime best contracts being offered.
It’s been my experience that the BIP was developed because at one time, over 20-some years ago, more than 50 per cent of our capital projects and whatnot were going south. That sort of was the development, at least the thinking as to why it’s so important to have this to further encourage investment in the North. I’ve spoken to a number of people in the business community about this, and furthermore I’ve been contacted by a number of people in the business community about the BIP, and not one single person has said to drop the BIP. What they do recognize is it needs to adjust and maybe have little changes to be modernized, if I may say. I’ve even heard that people think the BIP should only apply to those who file their taxes in the Northwest Territories. I think that’s a really concrete incentive to encourage southern businesses to further invest in the Northwest Territories.
In my time as an MLA I’ve seen businesses move to the Northwest Territories and establish an office, a presence. They hire people. They mean well in the community. They invest goodwill in the community. That’s exactly the spirit and the intent of what the BIP has fostered, and I really agree with that.
I’m going to leave it on one more note and allow further debate by other Members if they so chose. The BIP, to me, truly represents symbolism that our government recognizes and wants to support business. It’s easy to say that, but you know what? This is action that proves we support northern business, and we want to see that continue to grow and foster in the North where it belongs and where we really appreciate it.
With that, I’ll leave it to other Members, if they so choose to speak to the motion. Finally, I’d like a recorded vote.