Masi. Members' statements. Item 4, reports of standing and special committees. Item 5, returns to oral questions. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my disability statement, I would like to acknowledge visitors in the gallery who were able to take time out of their busy schedules to be with us here today. First off, I would like to recognize Denise McKee, who is the executive director of the NWT Disabilities Council, as well as members of the board Cornelius Van Dyke, who is vice chair, and Judy Sharp, who is treasurer. I would also like to recognize Ben Russo, who is the vice chairperson of the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, as well as Lynn Elkin from the association. I would like to recognize Laurie McLean, who is the facilitator with the NWT MS Society; Barb Hood, who is the executive director from the NWT Seniors Society; and Tammy Roberts, who is the executive director of the Foster Family Association. I thank them all for their hard work and commitment to developing the disability framework and other documents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Kate Powell, principal from Deninu School in Fort Resolution. I would also like to recognize my new CA, Pascal Erasmus, who is in the gallery today. I would like to recognize Mero Sundberg, interpreter from Detah. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize one of Hay River's entrepreneurs and a Hay River North constituent, Mr. Jeff Griffiths.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to recognize Barb Hood, resident of Yellowknife North and the executive director of the NWT Seniors Society. Welcome.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take the opportunity once again to recognize Kate Powell, principal of Deninu School, and congratulations on being recognized as one of Canada's Outstanding Principals. You are doing a great job for our students and our staff. Thanks for that.

I would also like to take the opportunity to recognize a former resident of Inuvik, Mr. Martin Carroll -- welcome to Yellowknife and to the Legislative Assembly -- and his wife, Ruth Carroll, who is interpreting for us this week. Mahsi cho.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to welcome Lynn Elkin, the executive director of the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, and Ben Russo, the vice chair of the Board, to the House. They are my constituents, and I would like to thank them for the work they do on behalf of disabled clients. Mahsi.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a couple of Pages here today from Helen Kalvak School in Ulukhaktok, Albert Okheena and Chris Haoga, along with their chaperone, Brandon Okheena. Mr. Speaker, the Helen Kalvak School in the Northwest Territories is very strong culturally, along with their language and on-the-land programs, and I would just like to welcome the students here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to break protocol for a minute. I want to make a recognition of Ms. Judith Sharpe, who was instrumental in helping me get elected, was on my campaign team, and I owe a great deal of gratitude to her. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to recognize and welcome three constituents in the gallery today: Judy Sharp, I believe she is with the NWT Council for the Disabled; Romeo Berube, who is with Northland Utilities; and Miles Welsh, who chairs Yellowknife Catholic Schools. I would like to welcome them and thank them for their work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery, welcome to our Chambers. It is always great to have an audience as part of our proceedings. Masi. Item 7, acknowledgements. Item 8, oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a follow-up to my Member's statement, we clearly see a disconnect within our government's mandate in regard to supporting diversity and capacity building in our territory. By preventing NGOs from registering under the Business Incentive Policy, a policy, I must add, that has not been reviewed in over a decade, and as I pointed out in my statement earlier today, Mr. Speaker, the policy is a legal contravention of the Societies Act.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Infrastructure indicate to the House when and by what process has the Business Incentive Policy ever been reviewed regarding NGOs purposely being excluded from registering under BIP? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Premier stated in this House last week, the BIP policy is probably one of the best policies this government has ever created; so I am going to start there. The thing about BIP is that BIP was created for for-profit business-related activities, and it is there to help entrepreneurial-based businesses. Competing with NGOs is a tough business, because they do not pay any income tax; they get other sources of government funding, a number of them; they get a lot of stuff in kind for rent and different things as such from various people and stakeholders and Government of the Northwest Territories, in some cases. It makes it tough for an entrepreneurial-based business to compete with this, and that is why it is in the clause. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I am not arguing that it is the best in the world, but we have some problems with it. Let's be honest here. We heard last week that we had problems, and this week we are bringing problems here again, Mr. Speaker.

To be clear, under our current GNWT procurement process, NGOs are excluded from our BIP process. Mr. Speaker, I can certainly see how this can be seen as a level playing field. Can the Minister indicate by what process or methodology do NGOs compete fairly versus a private business in our RFP procurement process?