Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to recognize in the gallery today Ms. Jenni Bruce, the chair of NWT Tourism; Mr. Larry Jacquard, board member of NWT Tourism; Mr. Gerry LaPrieur, executive director of NWT Tourism; and Mr. Doug Doan, assistant deputy minister of ITI and also a member of the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents entitled Tourism 2015: New Directions for a Spectacular Future, February 2011, and Northwest Territories Marketing Plan 2011-2012.

I’ve sent an e-mail to the mayor and asked his Edmonton Bureau of Tourism to be in contact with NWT Tourism. Anybody that we can get to work with us and promote the North we’re very interested in and we’re very eager to follow up on that with the mayor.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Edmonton is a significant market for the Northwest Territories. We think there are a lot of advantages to working with Edmonton and Alberta. Our primary contact with regards to marketing is NWT Tourism and seeing as Edmonton is only less than two hours and probably about a $300 to $400 ticket away, and since we’re interested in increasing business and personal travel to the Northwest Territories, it’s a natural fit. Similar to what we’ve done with Vancouver and B.C. where we have our aurora visitors go through there and have direct flights, we’re looking for...

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Department of Education already has on-the-land programs with their students. I will be pleased to meet with the Minister of Education to make sure that all of our programs work more closely together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The negotiated contract guidelines require that for every negotiated contract, the department issuing the negotiated contract is to file a report as to exactly the benefits the employment created, and that is filed with Cabinet. I will check for the Member to see if a list of negotiated contracts are put in a report and filed, and if they are, I will make sure that the Member gets a copy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Executive is responsible for negotiating contract guidelines and for reporting on negotiated contracts.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re very pleased to hear that Tamerlane has received financing to go on to the next level, but more recently we haven’t been in any discussions. All the discussions we’ve had with Tamerlane have been before the economy took a downturn. At that time we were discussing the need for power and also other opportunities. Now that they have received financing, we’ll be quite prepared to go back and have the discussions with them.

We prepare an annual report of contracts over $5,000, and I would be quite pleased to present that report to the Member. Thank you.

I agree with the Member that projects like these are much needed in the Northwest Territories, and we’d be quite pleased to meet with Mr. Lewis and I’ll direct our senior officials to contact him immediately and set up a meeting with him.