Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate Mr. Hawkins’ for bringing this motion forwards and I know colleagues that have been speaking towards it. This is just the evolutionary progression of what is just good stewardship and management of an industry.
This industry, as we are well aware, is very nomadic when it comes to our national and international filmmakers. This motion does speak very highly to helping our local film producers, as
mentioned by Mr. Hawkins. I had the pleasure of having one-on-one dialogues with the national film producers of Arctic Air and Ice Pilots NWT and they clearly said, as much as they appreciate tax incentives, that is not the impetus for them to do filming here in the North. What would be a value add to them was very clear. Their cost of air travel, their cost of lodging, these are true tangible costs. These were impediments for them to do business here, but they want to do business here. We have to make it easy for them. If we don’t make it easy for them, we know full well that the industry will move on. Just ask the Province of Saskatchewan. That was a lesson learned. We’ve got to learn from the mistakes, possibly of others, and make sure we put adequate measures to mitigate it.
On top of that, not speaking to this motion, is the fact that these very same stewards and film producers clearly indicated they needed cultural experts as well. I know, not speaking to the motion, but we’ve got to listen to these, these are fundamentally the stewards, these are the people who are promoting the NWT through film and industry, and I think we need to look at it. I hope that Cabinet is listening because if Cabinet is not listening, they’re saying no in essence to this industry by not supporting it.