Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise my colleagues of the launch tomorrow of BizPaL in the Northwest Territories.

This on-line service will officially be available tomorrow in Hay River and Fort Smith. It will provide entrepreneurs and prospective business owners in these two communities with one-stop access to permit and licence information.

Information for all levels of government in the Northwest Territories and across Canada.

Individuals seeking to start or expand a business will need only to answer a series of questions on the type of business they want to operate. The BizPaL system will then provide the start-up information they require within seconds.

For each permit and licence identified, users will also be provided pertinent information such as fees, processing and renewal times, contacts and links to sites where they can learn more.

Future plans will see the addition of on-line application and payment capabilities to further increase efficiencies and reduce costs even more.

Mr. Speaker, our economy is reliant on the economic diversification that is provided by the small business sector. They are the backbone of our northern economy.

BizPaL will allow Northwest Territories residents to reduce paperwork and assist them in pursuing their dream of owning and operating a small business.

Hay River and Fort Smith are just the beginning of our initiative to provide this important tool to all businesses and communities in the Northwest Territories.

This work reflects our stated priority to support the development of small businesses and sustainable local economies. It is also providing a more client-focused, service-oriented approach to delivering government information to Northwest Territories residents. All of this information is easily and conveniently accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mr. Speaker, this important initiative is the result of ongoing collaboration between the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and the federal Department of Industry.

I look forward to expanding the Northwest Territories BizPaL network in coming months in support of Northwest Territories business in every one of our 33 communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.