David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister responsible for Transportation in regard to the Frog Creek pit. As we all know, it is a pit that has given the government free access for a number of years under the land claim agreement. Its term is almost up in a number of years. I’d like to ask the Minister, is this government budgeting money to do the reclamation of the pit? Since the Government of the Northwest Territories was the sole user and as part of the agreement that gave the government free access, it also included that they also had to do the reclamation of...

Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to request from the Minister to make an offer to meet with the Gwich’in Development Corporation, the Gwich’in Tribal Council on this matter. I believe the Minister will be in the Inuvik region for the petroleum show and I think that this matter has to be dealt with ASAP. Again, Mr. Speaker, the Gwich’in have been registered in that area going back 10,000 years. I think that if the people that originate from that area can’t meet this government test of eligibility, I think we have a real problem in regard to how this government treats aboriginal people...

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you. In regard to the policy itself, again, I noted in the policy that there are certain differences and I know that I used this scenario in Inuvik where you have three hotel companies. One is a private company, one is an aboriginal company and one is a southern company, but the Government of the Northwest Territories is only using one hotel with government employees to stay in Inuvik. So I’d like to ask the Minister if there’s a way to appeal a decision or a process where you find that it has basically been encumbering other companies from doing business with the government and one...

Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.

Mr. Minister, for the record, could you introduce your witnesses?

This totally undermines the whole concept of land claim settlements in the Northwest Territories and for aboriginal groups to develop an economic base so they can provide for their benefactors and the people in communities so that we are able to be self-reliant people. When this type of practice is done by the government to undermine those land claim agreements, the policy itself is in question. This policy, as far as I see it, shouldn’t be put forward to the implementation of the land claim agreements and see how it draws up to the land claims agreements. Are they exactly undermining those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 5, Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Act, and would like to report progress with one motion being adopted, and that Bill 5 is ready for third reading as amended. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he would be bringing in any witnesses. Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is dealing with the Business Incentive Policy. I think there’s a major problem with the policy. I’ll just go through some of the principles of the policy that are supposed to be applied.

The Government of the Northwest Territories adheres to the following principles when implementing the policy: the government referential practices should maximize benefits for the residents of the Northwest Territories to the government policy and procedures; should enhance the Northwest Territories business environment, ensuring sustainable economic growth; and the...