Page 12-31. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question here related to fisheries. I noted fisheries is mentioned on page 12-28 where it talks about programs to support fisheries and then it talks about commercial fisheries here in a contribution. In that fisheries is a federal responsibility and waters are a federal responsibility, can I get an explanation as to how we are involved in fisheries, why we are involved in fisheries if it really is the feds who ought to be looking after this? Thank you.

Minister of ITI.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess way back in the ‘60s or ‘70s, the Government of the Northwest Territories decided to become involved in Great Slave Lake Fishery and passed the Freshwater Fish Marketing Act. The federal government is responsible for fisheries, but we’re assisting fishermen with administration and transportation of their catch.

The other earlier reference to fishing was to develop local markets for fish in the Northwest Territories. That’s the difference. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I certainly am totally in support of local fishers and fisheries. Local encouragement of businesses is something that I am very much in support of. I do have to wonder, though, about the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Are there any other jurisdictions in Canada that have a province or a territory running a fish marketing arm? Thank you.

We’re not running a fish marketing arm. We’re just assisting them with transportation and some core funding. The other jurisdictions have their own organizations. The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation’s mandate is to buy the fish and also to assist in the harvesting. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have to confess, I don’t know a lot about the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, but I thought I understood some time ago that we were dealing with them in Winnipeg. If this is a territorial marketing corporation, are the employees northern or is it an organization that operates outside of the North? If that’s the case, why are we supporting it? Thank you.

It’s not a marketing corporation. It’s the NWT Fishermen’s Federation. So it’s made up of fishermen that fish in Great Slave Lake and Kakisa and Tathlina Lake. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Now I’m really confused because I thought we were talking about the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. That’s fine. I have no further questions.

Thank you. We ‘re on page 12-31. Agreed?

Moving on to page 12-32. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask a couple of clarifications on agriculture development infrastructure and the promotion support for commercial processing and marketing fish and meat in the NWT. Are these brand new initiatives? I understood from the Minister’s remarks that we were adding $50,000 to agriculture, but I don’t see any previous expenditures that would indicate we were spending $250,000. I’m wondering where I could find that or if you could steer me straight here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With regard to the $300,000 for agriculture development infrastructure, $250,000 was transferred from contract services originally and $50,000 is the increase for 2011-12. On the promote and support for commercial harvest processing, $450,000 is

transferred from contracting services and $100,000 is the increase for 2011-12. Thank you, Mr Chair.

And were those transfers done some years ago or was that just done this year? Can I get confirmation that these are first-time expenditures in recent times, say in this Assembly? Thank you.

These are new expenditures for commercial harvest processing and also agriculture development infrastructure, is my understanding. Maybe I’ll get Mr. Vician to describe it, Mr. Chair.

Deputy Minister Vician.

Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate those remarks. So does this mean that these groups of entrepreneurs or whatever will have more say on how these dollars are spent than in the past? Would that be fair to say or is that not necessarily true? Thank you.

Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe as well and that’s why it was done. It will be application based. The money will be distributed through a contribution. Thank you, Mr. Chair.