Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s really unfortunate that we spent so much time on this very issue over the last four years and we have so many issues in front of us right now, big issues to deal with with this government, and I’m very much afraid that this issue is going to rear its ugly head again and take up an awful lot of our time. I’m aware of other departments that are looking at playing with the BIP, whether it’s the local preference or the 15 percent on different contracts. If this government has the BIP policy and if they feel that it’s an important policy to this government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if there are no changes to the business incentive policy, is the Minister aware of any of the departments within the government that are putting out contracts and not applying the business incentive policy to them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify, I am glad that my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen is finally recognizing her constituency assistant.

---Laughter

Sitting next to her is Jennifer Tweedie, a constituent of mine, and her mom. Jennifer is here to go through this unfortunate thing of having to come over here to give birth. So welcome to the Legislature.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Premier for those answers, but at the same time we have a policy that government follows, and that policy was put in place to benefit northern businesses, to encourage northern business to build capacity and be able to survive in the North. I don't believe that if Cabinet is going to take a view of this now that we're going to be picking and choosing on what projects we can apply the BIP on. For two years, we've been asking what is the cost to government and how much are we saving by doing this. We have not been able to see these figures yet...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, from that answer am I to take that Cabinet is going to have a look at every contract that's going out from departments? If a department comes to Cabinet with a contract to say we want to waive the BIP on this, they're just going to be picking and choosing what projects they're going to apply the BIP to and what they aren't. Is that the direction we're going now? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the fact that the Minister says the next games are not until 2008, which is quite a ways away. In actual fact, when you’re planning for the games and make commitments to host the games, four years is not that long a period of time. I would like to get a commitment from the Minister though that the international committee did not close the door on another proponent. I was under the impression that they had said pretty well flat no, that they weren’t willing to change the policy. Is the Minister committing that they are willing to look at the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement today I made reference to the Arctic Winter Games and for myself, Mr. Speaker, the Arctic Winter Games are very important both to the North and to the residents of the Northwest Territories. Apart from athletes participating in the games, there’s also an awful lot of interest generated in who is going to host the games and where they’re going to be hosted from year to year. As the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs may be aware, there are competing interests right now as to where the next Arctic Winter Games would be held...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer and I look forward to that information coming forward. Maybe when that information comes forward -- or maybe the Minister can tell me right now -- when the Arctic Winter Games were first established, who made the decisions on where the games were held and when was the international committee established? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if this government doesn’t agree with the decisions or the policy that comes forward from the international committee, what avenues do we have to object to any of their decisions or influence a decision that they’re making in policy or any other decision as far as the international committee is concerned? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to be back in this wonderful Chamber with yourself and the rest of my colleagues as we embark on what promises to be a very busy and interesting session. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the accomplishments of the 25 athletes and one coach from Hay River who represented us extremely well at the Arctic Winter Games held from February 28th to March 6th in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Mr. Speaker, I would especially like to recognize those athletes from my riding of Hay River North. They are: Trista Nault in basketball...