Bob McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’ll take the Member’s request under advisement. We have other boards as well that fulfills the functions that the Member has raised so we’ll see how we can best serve the interests of the people in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, research is a key component of a strong future for any resource economy. ITI’s new NWT geological survey division helps to fill this need and provides publicly available geoscience information that is used to stimulate mineral and petroleum exploration and investment, understand environmental change, assess mineral and petroleum resource potential, and assist in infrastructure projects and use decisions. Current projects focus on topics such as diamond exploration in the Slave Geological Province, mineral potential of the Mackenzie Mountains, permafrost melting and associated...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The mine is not in operation so this is for preparatory work to set up an advisory committee when the mine is up and running. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Maybe the Finance Minister can answer in more detail, but my understanding is that the total will not change. The main estimates have already been printed, so we can’t change that. When the budgets are loaded up, it will reflect the fact that this tourism product diversification marketing budget will be made whole, and when the budgets are loaded, the $250,000 will come from other O and M and be reduced by that amount and added into tourism program. Perhaps through you, Mr. Chair, the Minister of Finance may have further detail to eliminate this issue. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do have a diamond division, I guess if I could call it that, that includes three people that work with the diamond industry promoting value added and also promoting the brands of the diamonds in the Northwest Territories. We are involved with marketing, and we also keep track of the trends in the diamond industry. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do have an Aboriginal member on the Mineral Industry Advisory Board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

In my opinion the lack of infrastructure is the biggest constraint on attracting investment in the Northwest Territories as well as the low commodity prices and the very high cost of operating in the Northwest Territories. Construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway would reduce exploration and developments costs along the corridor by as much as 40 per cent. The 2015 Review Report of the Canada Transportation Act estimated a leverage factor of 80 for the Mackenzie Valley Highway, which means that for every $1 of federal and Northwest Territories’ investment in the Mackenzie Valley Highway the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s application base. It’s available to Aboriginal governments, Aboriginal businesses, Aboriginal businessman. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is an area where the department commits to restoring the full budget of the tourism product, diversification and marketing programs for 201617. An ongoing fiscal year subject to budget approval of the Legislative Assembly, the department will restore $250,000 to the program that was proposed as a budget reduction and meet the department’s reduction commitments from other program areas of ITI. The funding will be found through an across-the-board O and M reduction: the activities, the directorate, policy. legislation and communication, and diamond secondary industry...

No, Mr. Chair.