Brendan Bell

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of Tourism 2010, it’s the first year of that plan. We are working to start to roll out some product development initiatives. We are working in the regions. I should say that when I say EDOs, what we have done in that region is the option was available to regions to have what we call a community transfer initiative where they took over responsibility for the provision of that service and take money from us on a yearly basis and pay somebody a salary. That’s what we have done in that region. I do believe the one position in Behchoko is still a department...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I now too am ever mindful of trying to avoid that segment on CBC. There is a review underway right now of our corrections program and the facility. We think that we need to obviously ensure that our programming is as good as it can be. So we have had some concerns come up. Obviously, the Members know we ran a deficit last year. We had some cost drivers that we are seeking to address. We need to know exactly what we are legislatively required to provide, what types of service and other things that are add-on. So we are viewing all of these things. I have...

Post settled claims on settlement lands, yes, we do know it’s allowed. I am not sure it would be allowed or legal to hold up an operator’s licence on the basis of some concerns about the level of employment where you are talking about unsettled areas, but I can certainly check that and get back to the Member. Again I say when we are talking about issuing new licences, the support of the community is critical. I don’t think any tourism operator is going to want to go into a region where the region is not supportive of their activities, because I don’t think they are going to be able to provide...

Mr. Speaker, thank you. I would like to say I am sure, but I believe we do have an operational policy with this respect at the facilities. There are, of course, always in these situations potentially safety concerns for inmates or for volunteers who would come. It is of paramount importance that we ensure that safety, but let me say that the John Howard Society fulfills a critical role, I believe, in society but in our corrections system. I appreciate the good work that they do. We want to make sure that they do have access to our facilities, but there are some things that we need to...

Mr. Chairman, the people exist and are employed by the government currently, so there is a tourism officer in the Inuvik region, a very good one. One with a lot of experience and one who we've used in a number of other roles to help train other officers and help do a lot of work in tourism for us as a government. He was very much involved in our Expo work in Japan. So you're very well served in that region. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My understanding, and in the past I think it’s been conducted in this manner and we propose that it be conducted this way going forward, obviously we meet with the authorities, sit down and go through the proposed licence. We would expect that they would not just issue a veto without raising any concerns. If they have concerns related to wildlife, cultural sensitivity, ecological sensitivity, those are all very legitimate reasons for us to reject a tourism licence if they are founded. But just a veto without any rationale or explanation would be a problem for us, so...

Mr. Speaker, I have asked my department to do some planning. I have set a target of January 1st. I think that is a reasonable time frame. Let me give the Member an example. The Centre for Northern Families in Yellowknife currently has a program where a physician attends to deal and work with some of the clients, I believe, on women’s health issues, issues related to pregnancy, with raising children. I think that is very effective and very important. We know we have clinics throughout the city that people can go to, but I think it has been proven that that is not as accessible for some of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the person in the area, the tourism officer, is responsible currently for that Dodo Park. Mr. Chairman, I would say that we think there's additional workload coming up here in the future with the transfer of that land, and I think we, in speaking with the committee, envision the hiring of an additional officer in that region because we think that there will be the work. We're some ways away from that now, but we're working with the committee on that. Thank you.

Absolutely, Mr. Chairman. We will meet with them and have extensive consultation in order to develop the regs before we come back to the committee. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Member I think has sufficiently shamed me into, as he’s saying, taking a hike. So yes, I would love to join him for that. Thank you.

---Applause