Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Members for the opening comments on ITI’s budget.

I will start with some of the comments Mr. Yakeleya made. I agree with him; I think it is a tough balancing act in looking at sustainable development and protecting the environment. There is a lot going on in the Sahtu these days with the development of the Canol Trail. It is very exciting. There have obviously been a number of opportunities there for residents to look at job opportunities. There have been opportunities for businesses there. That will continue into this summer and into next winter. Again, it is very exciting.

I had the opportunity to meet some of the businesses and companies that are involved in that work. Just last week I had another meeting with one of the companies doing business in the Sahtu. They are very optimistic about the resource that is there. They have spent sizeable dollars already and are looking at future investments there, not just on their own property but also some infrastructure on the ground. I think there are lots of good work that can come out of working together in the Sahtu on maximizing the opportunities, not only to residents with opportunities in jobs and business but also for government to work with other levels of government and industry to ensure that we can maximize the impact that that development is going to have on our territory and in the Sahtu. It is very exciting.

We also are excited about the traditional economy and the programs that we have at ITI. We were over in the Yukon for PNWAR at the Arctic Caucus and talking to the Ministers from the Yukon. They are very envious of the programs that we have here in the Northwest Territories related to the fur industry. In fact, we were going to send them some information on how they could develop programs similar to what we have here in the Northwest Territories in developing the fur industry over there. We have seen a great success in the support the Community Harvesters Assistance Program, Take

a Kid Trapping, and the price of fur has gone up tremendously. Pelts are raising great numbers at auction. Recently in Seattle, there were over $800,000 in furs sold. That is money that goes directly back to the local economy. We continue to support that. I am very excited about it.

Mr. Yakeleya also talked about the mining or Mineral Development Strategy and also the Economic Development Strategy. I think it is very important that these two initiatives go forward. On the Mineral Development Strategy, we have had industry asking the government for a number of years to advance this type of work. We have seen after 2009, when the bottom fell out of investment here in our territory, there was a renewed focus on trying to develop a mineral strategy here in the Northwest Territories that would answer a number of questions and, I guess, put out the welcome sign that we are interested in getting that investment back. We are interested in some new mines. In the next seven to 10 years, we could look at getting seven to nine projects across the goal line and opened here in the Northwest Territories. That is exciting. If you look at a project like Prairie Creek, nothing says you are interested in development and opportunities for people more than opening a new mine. We have rested a lot of our laurels on diamonds, obviously, over the past decade and a half. It is important for us to see us diversify the mining portfolio here in the Northwest Territories. We are looking to do just that. I think the Mineral Development Strategy is going to allow us to do that.

On the Norman Wells gas situation, if I could just for a second answer something that Member Yakeleya had asked. That is, what does the future hold for Norman Wells? I think Norman Wells, with the development of the shale oil across the river from Norman Wells and in close proximity to the community, I think there is opportunity as we go forward. There is gas over there. It is definitely a by-product of the oil that would be taken from that resource place. The infrastructure is all there, and I think if the timing is right on the development of that resource across the river from Norman Wells, there will be opportunities for the community of Norman Wells and it’s just bridging that time frame. Hopefully the gas does last.

We had Member Menicoche talk about tourism and how important the Deh Cho Trail and Highway No. 7 are to his riding and to the southern southwestern part of the territory; and it is very, very important. I heard firsthand, when I was down there late last week, from a gentleman who runs tour buses and companies with buses and water contracts. It makes things very difficult when the road is in the condition that it is in, to transport things over it. It has an impact on the cost of living, as the Member said. It has an impact on tourism numbers, and the numbers don’t lie. Those numbers are down in the

Deh Cho parks and that’s something I guess I’ll have to talk to the Minister of Transportation about. We’ll see what we can do there and I’ve made the commitment to the Member about trying to identify capital dollars for Highway No. 7 as we go forward to address the pressing needs on that highway, and I think that will, if we can get a sizeable investment back into Highway No. 7, we’ll see the numbers come back, the visitation numbers come back, the RVs come back and people come back to the Deh Cho and to the Nahendeh riding, which is important for us. I think we need to realize the potential there.

Also in the community of Fort Liard there’s a tremendous opportunity there with gas and petroleum development that shouldn’t go unrecognized as well. I know they’re moving forward. I had a good meeting with the chief and some councillors down there last week as well. So they’re moving forward and they rely heavily on transportation and the infrastructure that’s there. The two definitely, when you look at economic development and the advancement of that, transportation infrastructure is crucial to that happening.

With Mr. Moses, if I could respond to some of the concerns the MLA had. We are still working with the Inuvik Joint Venture. We’re going to be having a meeting I believe this week with the folks from Inuvik and the IJV. It’s important that we find a solution and move forward. I think we’ve got to address the situation head on. I believe the government has been doing a great job in doing that through the Premier and Minister Miltenberger, as well, in trying to meet the challenge, and it is a huge challenge. It has cost us millions of dollars and we need to find a way forward, something that’s going to satisfy the residents in Inuvik, and also for us the peace of mind as we go forward as a government.

The Member also brought up the permafrost scientist that we are looking at hiring and being housed in the geoscience office here in Yellowknife. That’s a position that we feel very strongly about. It will be a tough to staff position, but we’re anxious to get a specialist here in the Northwest Territories working with other scientists here to look at the impact of climate change and permafrost as it relates to government infrastructure and it’s important that we get that position. On the location of that position, yes, in Inuvik that may be something we need to look at, but certainly I think we should be looking at the position itself first. I think with all the other work that’s going on government-wide in looking at decentralization and in advance of devolution, as well, I think we shouldn’t really be looking at positions one off. I think it needs to be a broader focus and a broader look at how all the positions fit in and work with one another. Then we can make some decisions about where they are the best fit and how we can move

forward with those. But I appreciate the Member’s concerns with that.

On the park fees, the park fees have gone up, but the cost of operating the parks have gone up, too, and all that money goes back to the operator. So if there are increased costs in operation of the park, that’s why we’ve seen an increase in the fees there. It’s all to help maintain and operate our parks so that visitors and residents alike can enjoy them, and I think that’s fundamental to all of that.

MLA Nadli talked about increasing opportunities and we need to support the various land claims that are out there. I agree with that. Tourism, the potential is there and I agree with MLA Nadli wholeheartedly. I think we’ve got ample opportunity here in the Northwest Territories to grow tourism, and it’s possible that tourism can impact economically all 33 communities across the Northwest Territories in a positive way and we need to keep that in mind. We need to fund it to a level that is going to allow that to happen. I know the Member said $4 million isn’t good enough, and as we move forward I think that’s going to be a challenge of this government to try to find and identify more funding for tourism. I think a highway down the Mackenzie Valley at some point in time would certainly increase the tourism potential, as well as the Tuk-Inuvik highway as well. Certainly, we’ll continue to push on with those objectives as well.

MLA Bouchard talked about the Business Incentive Policy, and we’ve had some discussions here in this House during this session with Members in regard to the Business Incentive Policy and we’ve done a number of revisions to that policy over the years. The last was in 2010 and we’ve made some changes to it that we thought would address the larger contracts and where the work went, and there was the Inuvik Billy Moore situation. Those types of situations we have to ensure aren’t happening and we’ve got to try to keep the money in the Northwest Territories wherever possible and I agree with what the Members were saying. I know MLA Bouchard is a big champion of keeping as much money North as we can and I agree with him on that. I think through the Business Incentive Policy we’re going to try to maintain that. It’s a GNWT policy and each department is responsible for the implementation of it, administers it through its contracts. But we can always look and continue to see how it can be improved. It is a government policy and that’s something we can always look at.

Again, MLA Bouchard talked about decentralization as well. That is something that is going to move forward and maybe I’ll just mention this again, but if we’re looking at just one position here or one position there – I had mentioned this to MLA Moses earlier – we should take more of a comprehensive look at it – and I think that is going to happen, and it

is happening – before we get just picking off one position here, one position there. I think a comprehensive look at the whole picture will be better suited for us.

BDIC, yes, MLA Bouchard talked about the BDIC and reviewing limits and approval of larger loans, and that’s something currently that’s in the works. There’s a review going on conducted by the program review office and we also have had a request recently. So that’s going to initiate how that can happen, and how the BDIC may be able to look at approving larger loans as we go forward and as the economy grows here in the Northwest Territories I think it’s important that we take a look at how capital can get into the hands of the companies that are employing people and growing the economy in the NWT.

On the Mackenzie Gas Project, nobody is ready to throw the towel in on the MGP. We continue to be optimistic that it will go ahead at some point in time. We’re currently working with committee on a review of the office in Hay River and certainly we look forward to continuing to do that and moving things along.

Just to address Mr. Bromley’s concerns, obviously there has been a decrease on energy initiatives and that’s where the big decrease comes at ITI. I think looking forward we need to refocus and regroup. Obviously, our financial situation isn’t at a point where we can make large, substantial investments in areas like that, but we are trying to refocus as a government and come up with a better, more coordinated effort pertaining to energy and coordinating those efforts government wide. It’s important that we can get there. I believe working with the other Ministers in the MECC we can achieve some things here moving forward.

I agree with the Member on the increasing employment opportunities where they’re needed and they’re needed mostly in small communities, obviously, some with some very high unemployment levels and we need to address that head on. We also need to continue to support the traditional economy again. I think that has a great opportunity for employment in small communities.

In renewable energy and biomass, as we go forward, I think there’s a lot of opportunity there as well. Agriculture as well. I think we’ve seen an advancement especially in the area of eggs and farming south of the lake. Very exciting and encouraging. Also the money that we’ve put into the local fish and meat processing I think is important as well because it helps get that product into the homes of people here in the Northwest Territories.

I think I’ve covered everything, but I’d be more than happy to get into more detail as we go through the budget.