Brendan Bell

Thank you. I will certainly commit to continue with the programs we are currently providing in this regard. I think they are very important and very worthwhile. The member has indicated a couple and we’ve received a lot of response from other jurisdictions who really envy the fur pricing program and suggest that this is unprecedented support for that industry. I would also like to add that this government recognizes the need to diversify our economy and ensure that we aren’t solely reliant on mining, oil and gas development. There are a lot of tourism opportunities and a lot of renewable...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This office will coordinate the activities of this government. The Member is suggesting that that is lacking. I would concur. I would agree that that is lacking and we don’t have the capacity currently to coordinate and manage all the activities related to oil and gas and pipeline development. We are hoping that this office can do that. It’s going to need direction from the joint committee and need direction from Cabinet and ordinary Members. We can’t simply set up this office and hope that it will find its way through the myriad of challenges that will be this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do have positions across the government that are involved in oil and gas. We know that ECE and the college are engaged in training activities, safety, welding and driver training. I think some 400-plus people went through training programs with ECE and the college last year to be ready for oil and gas. MACA does have employees engaged in capacity building, helping communities build capacity to be ready for oil and gas development. Other types of development are obviously RWED, with its petroleum advisors and business programs has a number of people involved in...

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to announce the members of the Waste Reduction and Recovery Advisory Committee. They are:

Mr. Greg Rowe of Hay River Liquor Retailers & Tri R Recycling;

Mr. Ron Courtoreille of the NWT Liquor Commission;

Ms. Stephanie Sibbeston from Fort Simpson;

Mr. Bob Weaver of Territorial Beverages Ltd.;

Mr. Kevin O'Reilly of the NWT Association of Communities;

Mr. Raymond W. Masse of the Inuvik Recycling Society;

Mr. Jack Walker of Peterson and Auger Ltd.;

Ms. Katherine Silcock of the City of Yellowknife; and,

Mr. Joe Agrey of the NWT Motor Transportation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I assure the Member we're not and I'm not potentially trying to withhold information from the Members. The Member is certainly right; within the life of the last assembly, at the end of the last assembly there was a legislative proposal and a bill drafted. There was insufficient time, unfortunately, for introduction and passage in the 14th Assembly. That does not mean that this discussion and this initiative about the need to better rationalize our resources in terms of how we deliver economic development programs and services is dead. We had the common ground...

Thank you. The Member will remember the $250,000 contribution that this government made at the end of the last assembly. It was for aurora recovery. That money was further levered through the Canadian Tourism Commission and amounted in what we believe is around $900,000 in investment spent both domestically and in Japan to try to reinvigorate the industry. We are hearing from the NWT Arctic Tourism Association and others that they believe this has been very successful. They are thankful for the support. Really the proof will be in the pudding with the upcoming season in terms of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously this is a difficult situation, but I think it's going to eventually be a good-news story going forward for the industry. We know that aurora visitation numbers have declined drastically, after 9-11 and other geopolitical events: the war in Iraq, there was also SARS and a number of events I think Mr. Braden has alluded to. Things have been a little more difficult since then, obviously. I think things are starting to turn around. I'm hopeful; I'm optimistic. Obviously this company had a couple of choices to make while things were improving. I think they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the next couple of weeks I will be before Cabinet and be making a presentation to Cabinet. Assuming endorsement of that presentation and assuming there aren't significant changes, I will very quickly then be able to come to committee. We will work with the Clerk's office to schedule something as soon as possible. I appreciate that summer is coming and it will be more and more difficult to get Members together, so I understand the urgency and will move quickly on this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that if I get Cabinet support for a single agency, and I would indicate, Mr. Speaker, I still have to go forward to Cabinet with a proposal and receive an endorsement of that proposal prior to coming forward to committee, but if and when that happens, I am hoping that we can do something very quickly here. If and when that happens we will have, no doubt, a very good and I am sure heated exchange at the committee level about potential locations for a new agency. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would say that the individual tourism providers, I believe, are out at tourism shows. I know they will participate going forward and are out, as the Member indicates, with their sales books and trying to book tours for the upcoming season. My information, looking at the numbers from this past season, is that things are improving, if only slightly. We haven't seen the dramatic recovery that we were looking for, but I have spoken with two of the three operators who are involved in aurora visitation, and they are optimistic about the numbers and recognize that this...