Madam Chair, just for the record here, the Minister stated that we are starting to move some petroleum positions around the Northwest Territories. Based on participation and the business case and looking at future projects, I want to state for the record that I’ve been asking for some time to put some of the petroleum positions into the Sahtu because that’s where the action is happening right now.
It’s almost like saying, well, let’s put the forest management headquarters in the Sahtu because things are happening in other areas. The Sahtu people are starting to wonder, in addition to the positions that are being moved to deal with the impact of the oil and gas activity in this and this isn’t a small-time type of activity, indications could show that we could have quite an impact in Canada and in the Northwest Territories with what’s happening there now.
Up in the Beaufort Sea, we don’t know what’s happening there yet. That’s just on the horizon. We could potentially know, but we don’t know. Nothing has happened up there and activity is happening in the Sahtu right now as we speak. There’s potential of some things moving to another level that we don’t even think about right now, yet we don’t have the support in our region for this type of impact and that’s quite puzzling. I’m not too sure how the government comes up with their evaluation as to putting in the office.
I know we can certainly use these positions in our region. The Sahtu could be a major economic energy-driver in the North and in Canada. It seems like we’re dancing around the fire. It’s all happening in the Sahtu, but we’re dancing around. In case this happens, we have something here, but it’s like they’re scared to come into our region and offer something. We’re kind of scratching our heads on this side.
I want to go on the record saying that. It’s a long-standing issue for me. Certainly decisions have been made, but the matter of the fact is things are happening in the Sahtu as we speak today. That’s a given. This is not what could potentially happen next year or the year after. We don’t know. Things right now are happening in the Sahtu. Things are wrapping up.
The exploration activity is showing that there are some good things that could possibly happen, but we’re waiting on the outside and we’re having support on the outside. I am somewhat puzzled, as
Mr. Bouchard is also, as to positions not meeting our needs. I hope we can do something.
It costs quite a bit to live further north in the Sahtu. We know that; it’s a given. What compels the government department to say yes, we’re going to move this? There must be some strong, compelling argument that has been discussed and say, well, the activity is there, but we’re going to move over here and this is why we’re justified. That’s what’s happening.
I could be wrong. Maybe in a couple years the Beaufort-Delta will really take off with what they have there. I hope that happens. But as a matter of fact, Jack, things are happening right now in the Sahtu and there are a lot of activities happening, but we’re not planning for that.
I appreciate the positions going into the Sahtu by this government to respond to activity that’s happening early in exploration. Don’t get me wrong there. That’s what I want to say for the record.
We have some positions already at the office in Hay River. That decision was made in the last government, but now we’re coming to this government here and I respect that. I don’t agree with it, but I respect it and that’s okay. But now we have an opportunity through this process here and we seem to fly over the region for something that we don’t know yet.
Minister, I guess I know the puzzle. I have to put it on the record that I certainly would want to see at least maybe three out of the nine coming to the Sahtu. We have to show. Right now you’re telling me, even though there’s all this activity in the Sahtu, you’re not important and we’re not going to give you our support, we’re waiting for something else to happen, we don’t know. That’s what it’s telling me and my people in my region. We will ramp it up in the Beaufort Sea. Possibly there are some good indications. Things are happening in my region. There is over $100 million spent in my region this year. That is an estimate. That is not the exact figure until I find out after the winter road closes and operations are ramped down. That’s happening right now. I’m just hoping that we see some support from this government to say yes, but I haven’t seen anything to date. I just want to say that I agree with Mr. Bouchard and some of the logic. We are not in the discussions when these opportunities come up. We were told, but we are not involved in the discussions. It is a different story from when you are being told this is what we are going to look at.
For the record, I don’t really need a comment from the Minister. If he wants to comment, then I would like him to comment on support they are going to have in the Inuvik area for these positions moving in there. I don’t know how many dollars that is going to cost us, but we certainly, for me, are dancing around the fire. The fire is in the Sahtu, but we are
dancing around it, not really strongly supporting it, not like the physicians that I heard from last year, which I appreciate, but not something like this, having a regional office or even branching out from the Hay River office to support us. I guess I’m going to do another year and come back and see what type of response the government is going to give us for our region. That’s all I have to say.