Bob McLeod

Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I’ll endeavour to do that. Certainly we don’t want employees reporting on things that we have no interest or no need to be involved with.

The code of conduct that I referred to outlines responsibilities of employees as to how to prevent themselves from getting into conflict of interest situations and the reporting requirements I am not aware of any reporting requirements for the examples that the Member used in her Member’s statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to recognize Mr. Jean Francois Pitre, owner of PIDO Productions and member of the board of directors for CDETNO and Sylvie Francoeur, director general for CDETNO. Welcome.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be pleased to investigate it. The BIP policy does provide for non-resident-owned businesses that qualify for the Business Incentive Policy. If the Member would refresh my memory, I would check it out. However, the last business that we checked out indicated that that business was BIP-able. Thank you.

I would like to point out to the Member, as he knows, that we are undertaking a review of the Business Incentive Policy and certainly that is a perfect opportunity to address these kinds of concerns. We also have a Senior Management Preference Policy that is set up specifically to look at these kinds of issues. The whole premise behind the Business Incentive Policy is to benefit northern businesses. If there are no benefits to the North, then it would be of concern. I don’t have all of the specifics of the business that the Member is referring to. I think it is a rule of thumb that there would...

The benefits of Food Rescue are many. Besides saving the landfill from tonnes of waste, the vegetable trimmings are being composted and cardboard is recycled. Beneficiaries include the Salvation Army, Centre for Northern Families, YWCA Rockhill Apartments and the Alison McAteer House, Yellowknife Food Bank, the SideDoor, the John Howard Society, and the Weledeh School Lunch Program.

Food Rescue not only addresses food access issues of the homeless and the disadvantaged, but also addresses environmental issues by making the maximum use of food products shipped to the North.

This program is being...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 3, Members’ statements.

---Unanimous consent granted

Most of our funding in ITI is business related. We could assist with funding to establish a business plan or to do some market research along those lines.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to point out that the Western Harvesters Assistance Program was not intended for forestry operations; it was intended for people who live on the land.

There are no existing sawmills except for one in Hay River, mainly because of the difficulty in getting access to forest resources.

In terms of business programs, business programs are available to any business and it’s all based on feasibility. I’m very pleased to point out that in conjunction with the Minister of ENR, there is Biomass Strategy funding that’s available to the tune of $5 million over three...

I’m not aware of any specific directions that are given to deputy ministers or senior managers other than I know that most employees take it upon themselves to report to their supervisors if they are involved in any organizations and so on, just to be on the safe side, I presume.