Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That plan is tabled in the House on an annual basis and I think it may be – the Member is asking a number of questions – very beneficial to get the board, the chairman in to meet with Regular Members. If Regular Members have concerns or questions about the operation, it would be a perfect opportunity to ask the board. They are an independent board. Certainly, they provide me with a corporate overview and I do meet with them to talk about their operations with subsidiaries. But, again, I think there could be a lot of utility in having the board come and meet with Members to address some of the concerns the Member’s raising.

I accept the Minister’s offer of a meeting. I think it’s probably something that should

be discussed. We’ll have to see if committee agrees to that.

In looking at the corporate plan for BDIC for ’13-14, I don’t know exactly where the right piece of paper is but I think it was something like almost $2.2 million for administration for salaries and benefits for this organization. It seems to me that that’s a lot of money for 14 people, $2.2 million.

My other question has to do with a program that is run through BDIC and a program that’s run through ITI. I know that the organization and the department are quite closely connected, but I’d like to know in terms of the SEED program, which is run by ITI, and the programs which are run through BDIC. As I read on this page, the purpose of BDIC is to encourage the creation and development of northern business. How are these two programs different? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Vician.

Thanks to Mr. Vician for the explanation. I appreciate the descriptions, but I have to say that I fail to understand why we could not administer both of these programs from one place, why we need to have staff in two places basically providing funds to businesses within the NWT, albeit the criteria are slightly different. I feel that there’s some economy that can be had here, and I would seriously encourage the department to look at reducing the staff between both ITI and BDIC, not by kicking people out of a job but through

attrition, because there’s always an opportunity to reduce our staffing through attrition.

Mr. Dolynny mentioned – I guess maybe it was Mr. Vician – the Venture Investment Program. I did look at the corporate plan for ’13-14 and I did look at the website for BDIC. On the one hand, the website indicates that this investment program is not accepting any applications, but I think in the corporate plan it indicates that this program is going to be, I think, regenerated, so to speak. Does the Minister know anything about what actually is going on with that program? Is it active or inactive? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe it’s subject to the program review currently, so it’s inactive. Thank you.

I do have another question about staffing. I’ll ask the question and the Minister can refer me to the board, I guess, if that’s what he needs to do.

I struggle with the Community Futures program and the BDIC program. They are different, I agree, but they are also somewhat similar. If you look on this page, Community Futures is about $1.3 million, BDIC is about $3.7 million. The staffing complements are similar. The number of organizations within each is similar. Yet in terms of jobs that are produced or jobs that are developed through lending and through the support of organizations, I think Community Futures is something like 130 jobs averaging over the last couple of years and BDIC is something like 47 jobs. So on the one hand we’re… There’s a difference of about $2.5 million, yet one organization is producing, in terms of jobs, a heck of a lot more than the other one.

Specifically to BDIC, if I look at their org chart I see that we have, in terms of subsidiaries, there are, I think, eight subsidiaries under BDIC, and these are companies which, presumably, we own. There are, as I look at the org chart, four staff, I think, managing these subsidiaries. I have a really hard time believing that we need that many staff to monitor businesses. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, again, the Member raises a number of concerns and, again, it’s an independent board and I look forward to having them here to discuss issues with the Members.

We have to remember, in regard to the subsidiaries, they were set up, when they were set up to create employment in communities, provide economic opportunities and that’s what they’re set out to do. The subsidiaries are a big part of what the BDIC does. It provides economic activity in some of our smaller communities. So again, this is

a discussion that the Member wants to have with the BDIC board and I think we should try to put that meeting together as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Ms. Bisaro, your time is up but I have no one else on the list, so if you want to continue, go ahead.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just one more question, I guess. Also, by way of explanation, I’m not suggesting that we should close down these subsidiaries. I recognize they are businesses which are operating and they are providing an economic source within many of our communities. But if they are a business which is in operation within a community, I struggle to understand why we need so many staff at BDIC to monitor, so to speak, these organizations. I think I will pursue, with the Minister, a meeting with BDIC and see which committee it needs to go to and when. That’s all. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I believe that was more of a comment. Again, committee members, 12-32, 12-33 and 12-34, Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, economic diversification and business support, grants and contributions, grants, $625,000; contributions, total contributions, $13.240 million; total grants and contributions, $13.865 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Page 12-35, Industry, Tourism and Investment, information item, economic diversification, business support, active positions. Any questions? None. Page 12-36, Industry, Tourism and Investment, information item, lease commitments – infrastructure. Any questions?

Seeing none, 12-37. Industry, Tourism and Investment, information item, Fur Marketing Service Revolving Fund. Any questions?

Seeing none, 12-38, Industry, Tourism and Investment, information item, work performed on behalf of others. Any questions?

Industry, Tourism and Investment, 12-39, information item, work performed on behalf of others. Any questions?

Thank you, committee. If I can get committee members to return to 12-7 for the department summary. Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is just being circulated right now. The motion is in order. To the motion.