Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the report of the Electricity Review Panel titled “Creating a Brighter Future: A Review of Electricity Rates, Regulation and Subsidy Programs in the Northwest Territories,” commonly referred to as the Electricity Review.

Mr. Speaker, nearly one year ago, on December 4, 2008, I released a public discussion paper on behalf of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee that established the context for the Electricity Review and posed a number of questions for public discussion. The first question posed was: What should be our vision for the future of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Mr. Joe Acorn, the chair of the Public Utilities Board. Also, a couple of constituents from Yellowknife South, Jane McMullen and Mark Warren. Also a long-time colleague and a person recently recognized by the Aboriginal Sport Circle for his contribution to sport and long-time former chief, Jonas Sangris. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Government of the Northwest Territories Contracts over $5,000 Report for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We have our normal tool kit of business programs that are available to anybody who wants to pursue farming. We’ve gone and met with Arctic Farmer, for example, I’ve been to Hay River on numerous occasions, I’ve attended meetings of the Territorial Farmers’ Association, so we are definitely aware of the potential for agriculture and we are looking to find ways to provide additional support to those people who are interested in getting into the agricultural activities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Presently we have a Small Market Garden Initiative whereby we make equipment available in communities that are interested in participating so that they could grow potatoes, vegetables and what have you, and 18 of the 33 communities have taken advantage of that program and are growing vegetables and so on. We have the Growing Forward Agreement that was recently renewed with the federal government that provides assistance on a number of areas to promote agriculture, and those are the two primary areas that we’re involved in. Also, we’re trying to find ways to promote more local production in a...

The Member correctly points out the inherent challenges in agriculture and farming in the Northwest Territories is lack of access to land. The many examples that were used, I know in Fort Providence there was a large attempt at introducing farming and ranching in the 1980s and that failed mainly because of the lack of access to land, amongst other challenges. But certainly our government works through land claims negotiations. We don’t have access to lands, we don’t own lands as such other than the federal government owns the majority of the lands, the other large landholders are aboriginal...

Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize Gord Norberg and Carol. Gord is a fellow student from Grandin College and a former goalie. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Government of the Northwest Territories 2008 Public Service Annual Report.

TABLED DOCUMENT 43-16(4):

SUMMARY OF MEMBERS’ ABSENCES FOR THE PERIOD MAY 27, 2009, TO OCTOBER 14, 2009

I think the definitions of traditional harvest can be interpreted quite broadly so that it’s not restricted to specifically hunting and fishing, for example. So on that basis, it can be used for a number of different purposes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a number of programs that are covered under the Growing Forward Initiative, and I could go through and list them all or...These include small scale foods, which has a budget of $700,000 over the period of the agreement; northern hydro foods, which has a budget of $380,000; commercial game harvest, $320,000; traditional harvest, $1.160 million; inter-settlement trade, $120,000; environment, $40,000; Bison Strategy, $200,000; national strategic initiatives, $334,000. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.