Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’ve heard

from Cabinet about the desire to establish standards and a way of dealing with our infrastructure that hopefully will result in some cost savings and some efficiencies. Can we expect that that new approach will be engaged in any of the new projects being proposed for starting off this year?

The Minister of

Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. That

certainly is one of the areas that PWS is initiating. We are part of the process as well. Whenever it’s initiated, then we’ll comply with the regulation.

Again, I think there was a pretty

good agreement throughout the House for that new approach. I’m still wet behind the ears as an MLA, but I have to say that I’ve seen energy costs go up unbelievably just in my short, wee life here, some real realities there. I know that schools, for example, are really rather large pieces of infrastructure that are somewhat specialized and expensive. I’m hoping that this department, as all others, is fairly aggressive in making progress on getting those standards implemented and realizing the benefits that, hopefully, they’ll bring.

Certainly we will follow

through with the PWS direction on the new infrastructure designs. Our department will follow through with that. That will certainly save some costs to our department, not just to our department

but other departments within the Government of the Northwest Territories, on infrastructure. Mahsi.

Next on the list I have

Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a question

in regard to the item titled Education Authority Student Achievement System. It indicates that it’s territorial. I wonder if I could get an explanation of that expense, please.

Mr. Devitt.

What is this expense? I understand

it’s a system that everybody is using. Is this some software expense? Is this a hardware expense? What is it?

Education and Culture,

Tangible Capital Assets: $21.728 million. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Education and Culture, Tangible Capital Assets: $21.728 million, approved.

Page 7-6, Infrastructure

Acquisition Plan, Education and Culture, Infrastructure Contributions, Total Infrastructure Contributions: $3.7 million. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Éducation and Culture, Infrastructure Contributions, Total Infrastructure Contributions: $3.7 million, approved.

Total Activity, $25.428

million. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Education and Culture, Total Activity: $25.428 million, approved.

Moving on to page 7-8,

Advanced Education and Careers, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Tangible Capital Assets, Total Tangible Capital Assets: $2.78 million. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Advanced Education and Careers, Tangible Capital Assets, Total Tangible Capital Assets: $2.78 million, approved.

Infrastructure

Contributions, Total Infrastructure Contributions: $250,000. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, Infrastructure Contributions, Total Infrastructure Contributions: $250,000, approved.

Total Activity: $3.03

million. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Total Activity: $3.03 million, approved.

Total Department:

$28.458 million. Agreed?

Department of Education, Culture and

Employment, Total Department: $28.458 million, approved.

So with that, we agreed

that we’ve concluded the Infrastructure Acquisition Plan, but we have deferred a department. I’d like to thank the Minister and his witnesses and move on to the next department, which is Industry, Tourism and Investment. With that, Sergeant-at-Arms, can you escort the witnesses out, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Colleagues, on behalf of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment I am pleased to present the proposed Main Estimates for the fiscal year 2008–2009. These estimates propose total operational expenses of approximately $45.6 million for the coming fiscal year. This represents a 4.1 per cent, or $1.6 million, reduction in the overall operating budget of the department prior to the investment of $8.3 million in strategic and other initiatives. These Main Estimates also propose a total capital investment over three years of $7.4 million, dedicated entirely to the NWT parks and tourism system.

Mr. Chairman, the mandate of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is to encourage economic development and foster economic self-sufficiency in the Northwest Territories. This mandate supports the commitment of our government that all residents of the Northwest Territories must have the opportunity to build a stronger future for themselves, their families and

their communities. To that end, our determination in this budget was led by the simplest of tests: will our work contribute to an improvement in the quality of life for all NWT residents, will it maximize opportunities for residents, their businesses and their communities, and will it contribute to a reduction in the rising cost of living here in the Northwest Territories?

We will continue to work directly with regions and communities to develop sustainable local economies and to reduce regional and community disparity. As a government we are acutely aware that the value of our traditional economy and our fur industry, in particular, far exceeds what is evidenced in economic terms or statistics. Investments in the traditional economy, the arts and crafts sector and tourism will help our residents to bridge the gap between subsistence and survival and provide a reliable and sustainable safe haven against the fluctuations of a boom-and-bust economy.

Funding for cultural interpretive programs in our parks and for the Tourism Product Diversification and Marketing Program will continue to build tourism in the Northwest Territories in a manner that will drive the development of viable and sustainable small business ventures in each of our Territories’ 33 communities. This budget includes significant capital increases for new parks, infrastructure and enhancements to existing parks, critical investment in tourism infrastructure that will allow us to meet a rising market demand for unique tourism products such as only the Northwest Territories travel experience can provide.

We are aware that support programs remain essential to developing businesses in the Northwest Territories and especially in smaller communities. This budget, therefore, proposes new funding for programs that will support entrepreneurs and economic development under a new support to entrepreneurs and economic development policy, SEED.

Our residents, businesses and corporations are now looking beyond jobs and contracts that follow the boom and bust of construction and exploration cycles. Instead, they are finding ways to take a direct role in our region’s economic growth as business owners, operators and investors. The advancement of the Mackenzie Gas Project is a primary example. It will mark the beginning of a new era of economic opportunity for the Northwest Territories, of increased jobs and business opportunities. This budget renews our commitment to the Mackenzie Gas Project and to the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Office, which will coordinate our government’s planning in response to this project.

We will also continue our support of the Aboriginal Pipeline Group. It has set the bar for a new model

of aboriginal participation in the economy through its shared ownership of the Mackenzie Gas Project.

While interest and investment in the NWT are rising so, too, is the cost of living and working here. It is an unacceptable irony that while we have a tremendous supply of energy resources, the cost of energy in our communities remains expensive and is the single most significant contributor to our high cost of living. The development of hydroelectricity to reduce the cost of living in our communities and to power our mines and future oil and gas developments epitomizes the concept of sustainable development that we so widely promote.

This budget identifies significant investment to advance the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project through the regulatory process and into the pre-construction stage. It provides funding to build on this particular model, to advance other hydro development in the interest of further reducing the cost of living in the future. Reliable and affordable energy should be available in all NWT communities, and in the short term this budget also identifies investment that will allow us to consider and review the regulatory and administrative systems related to the provision of electricity in the NWT.

Mr.

Chairman, colleagues, these initiatives and

strategic investments highlight the ongoing work of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment to promote the growth of a vibrant, diverse and sustainable economy for the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister

McLeod. At this time I’d like to ask the chairperson for the standing committee that is responsible for reviewing the department under consideration if they have any comments in regard to the department’s estimates. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

The committee met with the Minister and his staff on April 8 and 11, 2008, to consider the department’s 2008–2009 Draft Main Estimates.

The committee noted that the department is proposing to spend $45.593 million in operating expenses for the fiscal year 2008–2009. The proposed budget for the department’s capital plan is $3.828 million. Committee members offered the following comments on issues arising out of the 2008–2009 Draft Main Estimates, and for that I’m going to pass the floor over to my colleague Mr. Bromley from Weledeh.

Mr. Bromley.