Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I spoke several times in support of our small businesses. We know that our small businesses are facing many costs, but what are they faced with today? This government has professed its commitment to supporting our small businesses and residents by helping with the cost of living and dealing with the basic costs for business. And what are those? Those are things like heating fuel, electricity, red tape, and WSCC employee issues and assessment costs. What are they experiencing in these areas that we have professed to be helping our businesses in, Mr. Speaker?
Let’s look at electricity. Electricity we are subsidizing over the next three years to the tune of over $65 million, and has gone up, according to the cost of living report we just heard, 8.7 percent this year. We are predicting almost a 30 percent increase in costs over the next three years.
Let’s look at heating fuel. Those costs have been soaring, as we all know, around the world due to global factors.
Let’s look at employee assessment rates. I have a constituent who talked to me recently, who got a letter saying her Class 7 employee assessment rates are going up, the government claims, 6 percent. Now it’s gone up from 48 cents to 58 cents per $100. That, to my Grade 3 mathematics, is a total of 23 percent. I don’t know where the government gets 6 percent, Mr. Speaker.
I am going to cut my remarks short because I see the clock is not working and I’m not sure exactly what time I have, but it’s clear that this government is failing on its professed commitments and, again, repeated commitments that we will come through and support our businesses and residents.
Costs are going up massively and I think a newsletter from WSCC said a 15.9 percent increase on average for employee assessment rates. Mr. Speaker, how can we possibly wonder why businesses are either throwing in the towel or choosing not to come to the Northwest Territories?
I will be asking questions in the House today on both of these related issues, and asking how we can really provide support for our businesses and keep them here as the engines of our economy in all of our communities. Mahsi.