We’re always willing to negotiate, but what was presented to us this morning was not negotiations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Last week I spoke about the Dehcho Process and the Dehcho First Nation making some significant change in the way they wish to negotiate with the federal government, and our government, of course, is participatory to that. In light of those significant moves, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask Mr. Premier how receptive is the government to it and how will they continue to support the Dehcho with their process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process we’re involved with, one, is on a number of fronts. We continue to be engaged in the Dehcho Process as long as that table moves along, and there’s been a fair bit of work done on that file. As well, we’re engaged in a number of other discussions happening within the Dehcho and, for example, the Acho Dene Koe First Nation work that’s ongoing there. We’re also working with the K'atlodeechee First Nation as they look at what options they’re looking at. We’re involved in a number of areas within the Dehcho. As those tables are established, then we’re setting up to be a part of them. Thank you.

The Dehcho Process is very important to the Dehcho and the future of the NWT. My vision, I see us, this government, working with them, taking the significant change that they have and working with them to work towards moving the Dehcho Process forward. The land use is still an aspiration of the Dehcho. Will this government commit to work on the land use plan as hard as the Dehcho is? Mahsi cho.

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to working with the land use plan. We have a number of departments involved in that and will continue to be involved in moving that process forward. I understand we’re very close on quite a number of fronts and that work should be done in the near future.

The other areas that we’re working on, again, we’re still engaged and will be. As the Dehcho review their mandate and how they plan to proceed forward, we will stay engaged and see what we can work on cooperatively. Thank you.

I’m glad to hear the Premier say that. We’ve got to do a little bit more than working cooperatively with them. We’ve actually got to have some real cooperative efforts and that’s in terms of consulting with them and seeking their advice as we deal with the federal government when they call upon us for advice.

Another huge component of the Dehcho and the land use process is the Edezhie Protected Areas Strategy. The federal government has recommended reduction down to 47 percent; the Dehcho is looking at 57 percent. A key issue like that, where would the government stand, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, there is a working group established around the Edezhie and that process continues to do its work and we’re involved in there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

I’m glad that Mr. Premier knows what they’re doing, but I’m asking what is this government going to do? The Edezhie Protected Areas Strategy has been reduced to 45 percent by the federal government. The working group has recommended it 57 percent. I’d like to ask Mr. Premier, will he support the Dehcho in achieving this 50 percent Protected Areas Strategy for the Edezhie? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, we’re a part of the working group so we’re involved in the process. We’re working with them coming up there to what may be. The simple fact is we need to have a look at that final work that comes out and, as Cabinet would, from time to time when these issues come across our tables, our negotiators and different departments who are involved in this would make recommendations to us. When that comes forward we will have a look at that and see where we stand and make our decision based on having all the information on the table. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are in follow-up to the statement made by the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment earlier on the Business Incentive Policy. I note that the Minister has stated that the proposed changes are being developed to address concerns and then he lists a couple of concerns that are being addressed. That’s all well and good, Mr. Speaker, but I would like to know from the Minister whether or not the department is actually looking at the whole of the Business Incentive Policy, looking at the rationale for that policy and going right back to square one. What exactly are we trying to achieve by having this policy in place? What are you trying to accomplish? What is the purpose of this policy? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Business Incentive Policy has been in place for 20-some years and the whole intention is to provide for building capacity in the North and to protect northern business and provide a preference for northern and local business. We concur with that intention and what we’re trying to do here is we’re only dealing with certain portions of the policy, because we still fundamentally agree with all of the tenets of it and we’re working to improve it and to have it work better in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The time for oral questions has expired; however, I will allow the Member a short supplementary. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for the rationale. I appreciate that but there have been changes made to this policy over the years and these are sort of piecemeal changes that, again, are being, kind of, slapped in. I would like to know from the Minister whether or not, as these changes are being considered, are we also looking at the whole of the policy and do these new changes and the ones that have happened previously still fit in with the original intent of the policy? Thank you.

There have been a number of attempts over the years to change the Business Incentive Policy, without success. I think the Business Incentive Policy has remained intact for virtually the 20-some years. We’re dealing with just portions of it that have been identified as areas that can be improved upon. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister mentioned earlier, in answer to another question, that unless something

is brought forward, it’s not going to be considered under these changes to the Business Incentive Policy, and I think he was talking about consultation. If it’s not brought to consultation, they won’t consider it. That’s what I’m getting at in terms of doing things piecemeal. If we are changing two or three things within this policy, are we considering the impact that that’s going to have on the policy overall, and the impact that it’s going to have on some of our northern businesses? Thank you.

That remains to be seen, because we’ve gone out to consultation on just three specific areas and if any other areas are raised, then we will definitely look at them and review them in light of the whole policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

I guess I would like to reiterate to the Minister that it is vitally important that if we make any changes that we make them in the context of the whole policy. I think we need to go beyond the information that we’ve asked for in this consultation. There are only three or four areas that are being considered. We need to make sure that if we make changes in these areas, that we actually check for the impact on the whole of the policy and on other areas that may not be mentioned in these instances. I’d like to ask the Minister again, when the points that have been brought forward through consultation are considered, will he also, and will the department also, be considering how they’re going to impact the policy as a whole and the impact that it may have on other parts of the policy? Thank you.

It is our intention to bring back the findings that we hear from the consultations to the committees and that, definitely, any recommendations that emanate from consultation will be done in conjunction with the review of the policy as a whole and its impact on the policy as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker