David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going back to the election campaign in the fall, in my election material I had specifically stated in there support for the northern jewellery manufacturing industry. I think, going forward, we have to try to find a way to create jobs in the small communities. In my mind, jewellery manufacturing is one way to accomplish that. They’ve met with a great deal of success in looking at jewellery manufacturing in northern Russia, in small communities. I think, you know, if we put our minds to it, we can come up with a program that’s going to allow us to move forward with a...

Again, we’ve had to identify some funding to allow that type of activity to be carried out. It’s not saying that it couldn’t happen. Maybe working with the Yellowknives Dene, Deton’Cho, there could be a possibility over the next season to do something. I don’t want to say no. I think if we can identify some dollars, we may be able to do a little more work out there, but... I’ll just leave it at that, Madam Chair. Thanks.

ITI has been working on promotion and support of commercial harvesting, processing, and marketing of fish and meat program that we have here in the Northwest Territories. It’s designed to increase the availability of locally produced healthy food in NWT communities. We’ve done some of that work such as a holding facility and processing facility in Kakisa. We’ve also renovated a building at Wool Bay and are looking at mobile processing facilities in the Sahtu. Any opportunity that we get to enhance the ability for people that are harvesting fish in the Northwest Territories to get it to not...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. Yakeleya on his concerns.

Starting at the beginning, I think what we are seeing in the Sahtu – and I know the Member is aware of this – is when there is resource activity and development in that region, some of the benefits come in improved infrastructure. We saw the capital involvement of industry there and what it has done for an ice road in the Sahtu. We need to be looking at opportunities to work with industry to get more of that happening in the Sahtu. Given the activity that is happening in the Sahtu, not just this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As 2011, the Year of Road Safety, comes to a close, I would like to highlight our continuing success in improving road safety in the Northwest Territories. We have made improvements in our laws and regulations that should help reduce distracted driving, a key factor in preventable vehicle collisions.

Beginning January 1st, the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving will be banned in the Northwest Territories. Drivers will face fines and demerit points if they use hand-held electronic devices such as cell phones, music players and Global Positioning System...

Our hands are somewhat tied because of our participation or the commercial fishermen’s participation in the FMCC and there are no plans currently underway for us to withdraw from that. Certainly as a department we can look at making strategic investments in a place like Kakisa, where we’re looking at a new fish holding and processing unit there in Kakisa for the pickerel. We’re also looking at possible portable fish processing equipment that could be used in areas like the Sahtu. So it’s strategic initiatives like that and investments like that in communities, especially in small communities...

Obviously the potential in the area of forestry is immense here in the Northwest Territories, especially in the southwest corner of the territory and south of Great Slave Lake. Definitely we need to be looking towards devolution as a way and a means and the settlement of both the Akaitcho land claim and the Dehcho land claim to advance forestry and that sector here in the Northwest Territories, and that discussion will take place with ENR on ways that both ITI and ENR can work together, as we move forward toward devolution on getting the most we can and maximizing the benefits of our forestry...

Mr. Speaker, the prevention of an oil spill in the Canadian Arctic offshore is the primary goal. We’ve got to prevent that from happening. Again, we’re confident with the NEB’s response, that the regulatory regime has the tools needed to protect the safety of northern residents, workers and the environment.

In their application, applicants must submit a contingency plan that outlines what measures they will use to respond to an out-of-control well. A relief well is one contingency measure. Obviously, projects that are occurring in the Beaufort Sea would operate in significantly isolated and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we’re confident with the work that the National Energy Board has been doing and we support the work that they continue to do. The key thing for us is that Northerners want to provide input into decision-making about future offshore drilling and they also want to be prepared in developing plans for future drilling projects. I think those are some things that we can take away from it. We’re pleased with the extensive engagement, as well, that Northerners had with the NEB to produce the Arctic review that was released earlier today. Thank you.

I believe as we move this forward, we get to the business plans and we get to discuss the priorities of the department and where we are moving forward, I think a training component to this is something that’s important to the Members of this House. I believe there’s some value to it. We could certainly look at that further down the road.