David Ramsay

The Energy Plan will be developed in conjunction with Regular Members and with an effort to look at projects around the Northwest Territories, and where we can move the development of energy in our territory over the next three and a half years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a clarification. Did the Member want me to comment on the $225,000 to commercial fisheries or is he talking about the commercial harvest processing and marketing of fish and meat, the $550,000 on page 12-34? I just wanted to get some clarification.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the Member for that question. In regard to what we have been doing, we’ve been working with AANDC as well as NEB and the Member is aware that they’ve delivered community information sessions in the Sahtu region on the issue of fracking. We, as I mentioned earlier, are planning a trip with the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee and we’re looking forward to that. I think in that we will get a chance to discuss the issue with academia, with environmental groups and also with industry. So I think we’ll get a good balance on that tour and certainly...

I shouldn’t comment on that because it was in the last government, but I think what we have to do is look forward. We have to take the positives out of this. We have identified $300,000 for that Sport Hunt Marketing Initiative. We need to work collectively. There’s going to be another count of caribou, and if the stars align correctly, maybe there will be some tags at some point in time. I think we just need to continue to move toward that and work with ENR and hopefully that can happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are currently exploring options to keep that service available to residents in the Mackenzie Delta, and as soon as we come up with a solution for that, I’ll be happy to share that with the Member. Thank you.

Yes, in the 16th Assembly that was released by the 16th Assembly by the Government of the Northwest Territories, facilitated through the former MECC. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly share the Member’s enthusiasm when it comes to growing – pardon the pun – our agricultural industry here in the Northwest Territories and supporting the local production of fish and meats. Very important for us here in the Northwest Territories.

We’ve had some real opportunity I think through the Growing Forward Program funding that’s come to us from the federal government to advance initiatives around the Northwest Territories. We’ve got the Small Scale Foods Program in northern agri-foods, inter-settlement trade, traditional harvesting and commercial...

Certainly, I support what’s happening in the Sahtu. We’re not just sitting back and watching it happen. I’ve been working with the Member. The Member knows I’m a big supporter of the Sahtu and the activity that’s happening there, as is the government. We want to see us maximize those opportunities, and I think we have been doing that. I look forward to getting in front of committee here during this, I’m not sure exactly which day it is, but I know we’re planning on coming and updating committee, and I’ll be updating Cabinet, as well, on the developments in the Sahtu and what’s happening there...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It was at $600,000. It was set to lapse and we did our best to come up with $300,000. It was set to go away entirely. It’s a number, even at $300,000 we’re not sure how much longer we can continue to put that funding on the table, and that was our best effort on getting money into that.

I am not aware of any. I’ve got that question into the department, again, in relation to some of the comments made earlier during the sitting of the House. I will try to get a response back to the Members. There may be some confusion over some of the marketing money and how it rolls out to the organization. If that is the case, we’ll try to iron things out so that folks know that there is no holdback. That money is going to be available. Thank you.