Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m hoping to start with a few general comments. Mine are in no specific order, either, I guess.
Obviously the first one that I would like to get some more details on the implementation of the decentralization by the department is the transfer of the positions over to Hay River and when the department expects that to happen. We’re obviously very pleased and excited to hear about that in the Hay River area. Just to see when that implementation will happen. I guess, when would we see those positions actually on the ground in Hay River? It would be nice to have a game plan from the department on how that implementation is going to be happening.
I, too, have questions about the Mackenzie Gas Project. Are there any updates to it or are we just expecting that to be at a standstill for the next year? Ms. Bisaro had mentioned the funding to the pipeline group and where we’re standing with that. Have we maintained the same levels?
I know from our side, as Members, we were asking for $1.2 million in marketing starting this year. The
department’s committed to doing $600,000 this year and then another $600,000 next year to get to the $1.2 million. I’d like to see us get to the $1.2 million this year, to the point where we can increase that amount. That’s a wish list, I guess.
Along the lines of tourism, I’d also like to, I know when we were discussing the business plans the department’s analysis of the marketing dollars that the department puts in and what kind of return we get into different areas. If we’re marketing on TV or whatever, are we seeing the results in our viewing, the results in fishing, general tourists? Do we see it in sports and leisure visitors? It would be nice to have a better indication or some more details on that as far as where our money is going.
Obviously, as the MLA for Hay River, I’m interested in the small business sector and the volume and amount of the SEED program. Is that maintaining its level or are we increasing those amounts this year? We’re, obviously, interested in seeing small business expanding throughout the Northwest Territories. I’d like to know what the status of the SEED program is.
I’m also very interested in the department’s assistance in agriculture and the fishing industry to vital parts of expanding areas for the Hay River area. Obviously we’d like to see the fishery expanded to the way of old, picking the volumes back up and what the department’s plan is to assist in that area. As well as the agriculture, the small agriculture that we have in the Northwest Territories mostly based in the South Slave area, it’s expanding throughout the Northwest Territories. I know there’s some in Norman Wells and there’s a little bit in Inuvik. What are the department’s plans to assist in the expansion of the agriculture that is basically helpful in reducing the cost of living for some people throughout the Northwest Territories and to the development of jobs?
Some of the other questions I’ll have as we go along, I know we discussed in last year’s budget the permafrost scientist position in Inuvik and I just wanted to make sure that it had been filled and what the status of that position is. If it hasn’t been filled, when will it be filled and why hasn’t it been filled?
I, too, have some questions on the energy side. I see the $50,000 for the Water Monitoring Program in Kakisa, which I assume is some sort of river generating system. I’m just wondering why the department would be doing this again. I know we’ve tried that in Fort Simpson, with limited success. What is the difference between that program and this program? Are we not just reproducing things that we’ve done before with limited results?
Those are my opening comments. I will have more detail as we go along.