I’d like to thank the Premier for that response. I’ve obviously been a part of some previous governments and I can remember sometimes when we were going through cost-saving exercises as a government and we went to the bureaucracy and said, you know, what could we cut to save some money and the list they sent back to us was so unpalatable. I mean, they would go, oh well, we would never do it. So maybe it’s not actual cutting, maybe it’s reductions in certain areas where we can find some money, as the government always says, from within to come up with a program. I think it would send a very positive and clear message to the people out there that are trying to undertake good on behalf of our constituents if we could do something like that.

So is the Premier prepared to have a discussion, with our support, with the senior management at the deputy minister level in the departments to find some savings? Like I said, not to change the course of government but find some savings from within that could allow us to access some funds for some initiatives in our communities. Thank you.

Over the years we have made a number of attempts of doing so. I think in the last government we looked to find ways to find funding that we could use to fund strategic initiatives and I think I understand what the Member is talking about, I think on a much smaller scale, to look at specific funds that we could use to meet some immediate needs and I think that we have a number of processes that would allow us to do so. I think it’s just a matter of us getting together, talking about it so that we can give some specific direction to our senior management, so that we can find ways to identify funds, for example, for disabilities and other projects or programs that the Member has outlined. Thank you.

Again, I think that the people of the Northwest Territories will take heart with that response that the Premier just provided. I don’t condone or support our government throwing money out there, either, kind of willy nilly and hope it hits the right place. So I think that we would need to have a process whereby we could make a case, we could get the support of our colleagues, we

could make a case, we could make the pitch and the onus would be on us to a large extent to show that there’s continuity and there should be accountability structures. So how soon do you think we could have this discussion? Thank you.

I would think that we could come up with some sort of a framework that we could have a discussion with committee. For example, I think we have $350,000 in it and every time we call for applications it’s oversubscribed by $1 million or so. So I think that if we put our minds to it we could come out with a process and also look at how it would be tied into our existing planning processes, because we are talking about public funds. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I think the Premier’s suggestion of perhaps enhancing the NGO Stabilization Fund may be the perfect vehicle for which to do this, because these are small things I’m talking about, but they make a huge difference in supporting the efforts within our communities. So I would just like to close by thanking the Premier very much for his response to this request. Thank you.

I welcome comments and they do give good ideas on the other side. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is a range of existing initiatives across government. The Minister of ITI is looking at an Economic Development Strategy. We’re talking about, as well, and I reference in my address, the fur and trapping programs that we’re trying to encourage people to put money into the hands of trappers to get kids, young people on the land. We have the seed funding that is available through ITI. There’s a range across government.

More importantly, I would ask the Member – even though it’s not my position to ask questions in this House – if the Member has specific suggestions that we could look at that would inform our decision-making. There’s a budget process underway, as he said, but if he has specific suggestions, then we – if I can speak on behalf of Cabinet – would be very happy to hear what those are to see how we, as we have just done with Mrs. Groenewegen, collectively accommodate good ideas.

I’d like to thank the Minister for his response. One of the suggestions that I’ve made is examining in terms of how unique communities are in their circumstances. I think I’ve floated the idea of perhaps a community economic model that could be perhaps profiled and maybe generically considered in terms of development strategies to try and help local economies be invigorated.

My follow-up question is: I know, I mean it’s a fact, that up here in the Northwest Territories we have a high cost of living. Fuel is expensive. Of course groceries are expensive, too, in small communities. Therefore, our people that try to survive in the have-not communities supplement their existence by going out on the land and harvesting food. My question to the Minister is: Is the department or this government considering perhaps an initiative to try and curb the cost of goods that are transported up here in terms of examining maybe the concept of a food subsidy program so that at least we improve to try and help the people that are living at ground level in the communities?

There’s no food subsidy program being contemplated other than we are peripherally involved in the existing Food Mail Program that is run by the federal government.

I would point out, as a Legislature and government we want to proceed and continue on with the Rural and Remote Communities committee which will provide a table for the MLAs from the small communities, like the Member himself, to gather around a table to have discussions about this business planning process that’s starting up for 2013-2014 in June. The benefit of having the

committee gather and get mobilized would provide a venue to have that kind of a discussion in a more thorough way to provide advice and feedback into that process.

It seems that the Minister of Finance might be suggesting that at some point there could be some form of an economic conference to involve small communities to ensure that at least they have a hand and input in terms of how it is that we could all help each other and work in unity to ensure that the economy is sustainable here in the Northwest Territories.

My final question is: Has there been consideration across perhaps each sector of the economy in terms of whether it’s manufacturing or transportation or tourism, but for the most part to try and ensure that at the receiving end the consumers, the people that live in communities could be perhaps assisted in terms of trying to curb the high cost of living? Has the Department of Finance considered further subsidies? For example, subsidies to businesses to transport goods up here.

As the Minister of ITI proceeds with the work on his Economic Development Strategy, there will be a consultation of the nature that the Member has raised.

I would also point out that I referenced the suite of programs and opportunities that are there related to traditional pursuits. There are programs that deal with the northern fishery, there are processing opportunities, we have a Manufacturing Policy, we have a Business Incentive Policy.

The work we’re doing long-term with all the energy initiatives are all geared towards trying to lower the cost of living in communities. One of the biggest costs, of course, is with energy. We’re going to continue that. There are no additional food subsidies or there are no food subsidies contemplated. We’re focusing more on trying to design the system to make it as efficient and effective as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Justice with regard to his Minister’s statement today. He mentioned there are two programs; and just before I begin I want to recognize that it is a great program. We have a lot of outstanding RCMP officers in the Northwest Territories who’ve taken this program and who have succeeded and become

strong role models for other members and our youth.

The first question I wanted to ask him is: In selecting for the first program the two candidates that would go through this program, would he look at making it a priority if he can look at the smaller communities and take some of the youth through the small communities in terms of some of our small communities needing RCMP officers and also having a presence in the small communities? It would provide jobs, as well, outside of the regions and the capital, so it would be providing jobs and a presence in the smaller communities.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Aboriginal Community Constable Program is a fantastic program and it’s in its second year of piloting. I have had an opportunity to speak to the commanding officer of “G” Division and we all agree that we really would like to see somebody coming out of a small community going into this program. There are communities that would be able to facilitate an officer upon their return and this is the direction we would like to go. Ultimately it would be up to the RCMP who the final candidates are, and I encourage you and all the Members to get out and talk to the residents of your community and encourage them to approach the RCMP well before June 1st and submit their application if they’re

interested.

I know it takes the responsibility of our Members and especially the ones in the small communities to bring this up and will be looking at youth who might be interested, especially the ones that are going through the Cadets Program. However, since this is an initiative through the Department of Justice, what type of marketing and recruitment has the Minister done in the small communities on his own, working with the RCMP?

Ultimately this is an RCMP pilot and it is the RCMP’s advertising. They are aggressively, actively advertising both the Pre-Cadet Program as well as the Aboriginal Constable Program. Recently I’ve had an opportunity to travel to some of the communities throughout the Northwest Territories, and every community I’ve went to I’ve mentioned that this program exists and I’ve encouraged people to apply. I’ve talked to the community justice committees in a number of communities, as well, and encouraged them to have people apply. The RCMP is actively marketing this program. It’s a good program and I hope to get individuals from the small communities. I hope they apply and I hope they get selected.

Would the Minister be willing to, once the youth go through this program, have this youth be working in a regional centre and taking

one of the regular members and putting him into a community where there is no RCMP officer presence right now? Would the Minister be willing to bring that suggestion forward to the “G” Division to see if that’s a possible plan so that these small communities do have a presence, qualified presence in the communities?

Obviously it really, truly depends on who the candidates are and whether they’re successful through the program. We are willing to work with the RCMP and we are willing to try to find the appropriate location for the candidates when they do successfully complete. Whether that’s in a community with a large regional centre or whether it’s a smaller community with a detachment, that needs to be determined based on where the candidate comes from, what their interest is and what capacity they have. We will be working with “G” Division on this.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final supplementary, Mr. Moses.