David Ramsay

For obvious reasons that I cited in my Member’s statement -- the lack of business start-ups, creation, the lack of any real economic diversification in our economy -- I think that time is of the essence that the department and the government move on this. I’d like to ask the Minister what the future is of the Business Development Investment Corporation in the rollout of this new plan.

I recently read a quote from an American legislator, Jim Collin, that I would like to leave you with: The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change. The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That last question, that was about departmental contributions, it wasn’t about SEED, but I’ll take the answer for what it’s worth.

I want to talk about manufacturing and I talked about that as well being in serious decline. We’re losing value-added opportunities such as Fortune Minerals. We’ve got other opportunities on the horizon and I would like to ask the Minister why doesn’t the government of the Northwest Territories have an industrial development strategy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to pick up where I left off with some questions on the future of business-related support here in the Northwest Territories. I want to just pick up where I left off again. We talked a little bit earlier about SEED. The average SEED contribution, Mr. Speaker, is only $6,000. You wonder how can we expect much in the way of business and employment creation when the average is $6,000 and the majority of that SEED funding, Mr. Speaker, appears to be for community events and ongoing subsidies like tools and snow machines and things like that. So I want to...

I guess whether it’s working really well or not, if less than a third of the overall funding of the SEED program is actually going into businesses, then it’s debatable whether or not that’s actually working. I’d like to ask the Minister -- and I know I was around when BDIC was created and everything -- how it is that we allow the BDIC to have a board in place and do the work on behalf of that corporation when it appears that they’re under direct and immediate control of the Department of ITI?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. It goes back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the future of the delivery and provision of business services here in the Northwest Territories.

Since I became a Member in 2003 this has been an issue. During the business plan review last fall the Department of ITI commented in their business plan that they were interested in a one-window service delivery model, something that’s been talked about for a number of years. I’d like to ask the Minister when exactly the department will have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today about the services and funding provided to businesses here in the Northwest Territories. During the business plan review of the draft main estimates in the fall, the Department of ITI stated that they were working toward a one-window system being in place for business-related services in every region.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very interesting statement for the department to make, considering the fact that the last government and this one to date have done nothing to move toward a one-window delivery model that numerous studies and reports have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is an excuse, I guess, but we could use it as an excuse or we could use it as an opportunity. We have opportunities, Mr. Speaker, especially in the value-added side of things. I would like to ask the Minister again where is the department and the government when it comes to an industrial strategy so we can attract value-added opportunities here in the Northwest Territories to diversify our economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to provide a few comments on the budget. I think in balance it is fairly good. There are a lot of good things that are coming forward. I will get a chance as we go through the various departments to talk a little bit more in detail about some of the concerns that I have.

One of the issues that I have with the budget is if I was a consultant or a former bureaucrat sitting out there listening to the budget address yesterday, I would be going like this with my hands saying there is a lot of work out there for consultants. There is a lot of work out there...

I’m just wondering if the Government of the Northwest Territories, given what’s happened -- the project’s been delayed for a year, the inability to raise the required equity, the troubles with the designs -- are there any plans by the Government of the Northwest Territories to re-evaluate that relationship with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation?