David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I agree with the Member. First off, we need to look at opportunities to get communities off of diesel. In the instance of Deline, perhaps it is hydro. In other communities there may be other alternatives, as well, so we just have to keep looking at opportunities.

On the wood pellets, we haven’t heard of any concerns that the Member has raised. I know plans are moving forward for the establishment of a wood pellet plant located here in the Northwest Territories. If the Member has concerns over consumer protection, that would be through the Department of MACA. They have a...

We work through the Minister of International Trade, Minister Fast, on this file, and we do have our trade-offs here that are attached to this file. For some specific questions, if the Member has specific questions, again, we’d be happy to try to get a response for him.

Traditional activities out on the land are considered to be productive choices under the Income Assistance program. Certainly that’s something that I can continue to have discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on how we can go about getting some funding to allow people to get out and pursue the traditional economy out on the land.

We will get that question answered for the Member. Thank you.

Yes, and that would probably end up coming through ENR. I don’t want to speak for ENR, but maybe we’ll just say yes. The Minister is nodding his head yes, so yes.

Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Deputy Minister Vician.

What might work is if we could offer a briefing to the Regular Members, to the EDI committee on the CETA agreement, and any questions the Members may have, we’ll be able to share whatever information we have, and I think that might be a better avenue to have a free-flowing discussion on the technical aspects of the agreement.

Thank you. I agree with the Member. I think it is time to be creative. It’s time to try to find a way to get a police presence in communities across the Northwest Territories. I’d be more than happy to get some additional information for Members on the First Nations policing work that the department is underway with the Yukon government and also with Nunavut. There have been discussions in the past by the former Minister of Justice and discussions will continue into the future. We’ll get that information.

Again, it’s very important that we look at creative ways and means, whether it’s through...

We do not administer a mining tax credit in the department. Thank you.