Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, April 2, 2004, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that the Government of the Northwest Territories use the spirit and intent of the business incentive policy to its fullest advantage in promoting and growing NWT-based businesses;

And further, that the government undertake to conduct a comprehensive cost and benefit analysis of the business incentive policy and table it in the House during the fall 2004 sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to deliver a good news story today on the successes of the trades program currently being offered at Diamond Jenness Secondary School in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, there are a number of valuable trades orientated programs currently being offered to Diamond Jenness students. There is a mechanics program, a welding program, a housing construction program, and the schools north apprenticeship program.

Mr. Speaker, the mechanics program is a new program that exposes students to auto mechanics. Local mechanic, Mr. Norm Gour, has for the past seven...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the business incentive policy is an issue that has been before us for quite some time now. An enormous amount of time was spent on this issue during the life of the last Assembly. We tried to deal with this business incentive policy in many different ways trying to make changes to it. It was obvious from the discussions that we had with the public and industry during the last government in proposing to change the business incentive policy, that industry was not consulted in the changes that they were proposing. For the most part, they didn't realize...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

I do hate taxes, but it has been mentioned a couple of times, some Members have mentioned coming together in this government and what we’ve adopted from the last government. It always amazes me when I think back to when we came together as a 14th Legislative Assembly if we look back at the recordings, I think we were talking about exactly the same things. About when we were going to hit the debt wall in four or five years and where we were going and how we were going to find the solutions to our problems. I guess we did get lucky in the last government with some major windfalls and it was all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad to hear that the Minister has confidence that the concerns will be addressed in phase two. But, Mr. Speaker, in the work plan for the environmental assessment of the Mackenzie Valley gas project it states very clearly that phase one of the review board will hold a series of public hearings in the Mackenzie Valley to gather evidence of any public concerns and determine which issues will be examined in detail during phase two. So if communities haven’t got a chance to voice their concerns during phase one, how are they going to get in on phase two when it’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister inform this House if this board has a fiduciary responsibility to consult with all affected parties when a review is undertaken? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That being said, I am mystified why the board declined to grant the Town of Hay River the request to hold public meetings in Hay River to listen to the concerns of the community. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Madam Chair. Maybe I should just say I hate taxes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what action is the government willing to take or the Minister willing to take to ensure that the residents of Hay River have an opportunity to be heard by this review board? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.