David Krutko

Moving on to page 3-18, information item, human resource strategy and policy, active positions. Agreed?

Again, I mean, we know this is just another department. It seems like we’re spending a lot of money on people going out and getting the information on contracting services. Maybe that’s the question I’ll ask under corporate management with regard to corporate services. How much of that $400,000 are we spending? Is that money we’re spending on geologists or people who specialize in different areas looking at geology from the perspective of mining or oil and gas? Could you give me a breakdown of that $400,000 and how much of that is outside sources by way of geologists and people who compile...

Again, it was the caribou outfitters that seemed to have an issue. I haven’t heard anything regarding the polar bear outfitters. It seemed like it was the caribou outfitters that had some difficulties with some of this funding. It did come down to more of accessing the funding, application based, their application didn’t meet the criteria. I just wanted to throw that out there with regard to the issues that have come before ourselves as committee. That’s good with me.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. With that, I would like to ask the Minister if he will be bringing in any witnesses.

Okay, page 3-34, information item, regional operations, active positions.

Thank you. Deputy Minister Vician.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too have questions regarding the grants and contributions around the Hydro Strategy. I was to understand that they were looking at regional strategies for each of the different regions to look at the hydro potential in each of those regions. I’d like to know where we are with that work and is it part of the overall strategy going forward. Is that part and parcel of the $1.2 million that’s being spent? How are we going to pull those type of regional... Do we have a territorial strategy that’s looking at it from the confines of regional potential for hydro?

We’re on page 12-32, activity summary, economic diversification and business support, grants and contributions, grants and contributions, $12.949 million.

Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was looking on...(inaudible)...in regard to geomatics and geographical information system in regard to the government’s responsibility under the geographical aspect. I think that we seem to be looking at the federal government for a lot of this stuff, but again, I think the GNWT is now looking at it. Again, it’s what are we doing to stimulate those economies. We put a lot of money in developing the mineral industry but what are we doing to promote the oil and gas industry, especially in my region, the Mackenzie Delta and also in regard to the Sahtu, and how can we get...