Wally Schumann

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is right. Last year was the last time we supported them, but moving through this business cycle, we have no plans on providing funding to APG.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a conversation that I have not had with the department. If the fee is a hindrance to the people moving here, I will take that up with the department and get back to the Member if that's a possibility of having a look at that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The latest numbers that I have in front of me here, I will read them out so everyone can hear them:

Arrived in NWT for operating businesses, we had four applicants, for a total investment of $1.2 million;

Signed a BPA and awaiting arrival in NWT is 10 applicants, for $3.9 million;

Submitted application for the Northwest Territories Nominee Program's staffing analysis is one, for $300,000; and

Received an invitation to apply and staff awaiting applicants is seven, for $2.3 million.

A total of 22, with a total investment of almost $8 million. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

You can answer this a number of ways. I'm going to answer it the way I want to answer it. First of all, the demise of the Mackenzie Gas Project was due to the current market prices of the day. It went from $11 down to $1.90. Market prices dictated that they shut down. At the same time I think some of the lessons learned, and the Premier has talked about this a number of times when we're travelling around is the Aboriginal Pipeline Group, how good that was. It was the heart and strength of that initiative, and it is a landmark partnership that, when we're out there speaking to the public, and...

Our territory has considerable petroleum potential, and we have committed in our mandate to deliver a long-term strategy and capitalize on these reserves. With that said, though, this isn't an isolated initiative. It directly links to the important work we are doing as a government in the Northwest Territories. We have the energy strategy, the climate change strategic framework, and we are moving all three initiatives together. This is a shared vision that we have to work towards the new energy climate change strategic framework going forward, and the initiatives that we've signed on to. We...

Yes, those are two exactly that I have raised. It's funny that he's mentioned the secondary diamond industry. As we all know, Almod Diamonds have purchased the one site out on Airport Road, and the issue they are having right now around getting that up and running is through Immigration Canada and how long it takes, and I'm referring back to that. As far as other industries, I have not talked to anyone else about "Is there an opportunity to do this?" The business side of it is for new investment dollars for businesses in the Northwest Territories. I get the Member's point around if we're not...

If we go based on the number that is always thrown around, attracting 2,000 immigrants to the Northwest Territories, if you put ECE's file and mine together, we are nowhere near the 2,000 number. We are working diligently to try to improve that. Myself and the department have had conversations about how we can approach the business stream of things and how we can maybe change things up to attract more people into the Northwest Territories. The department is working very hard on this initiative by launching a new website, working to streamline the process and make it simpler, and these sorts of...

Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie River is our marine highway to the Arctic Ocean. A reliable shipping route for generations, the Mackenzie River is the northernmost link of an intermodal supply chain that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Beaufort Sea and beyond.

2017 marked the year that the Government of the Northwest Territories assumed responsibility for scheduled tug and barge services to our communities on Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River, and the Arctic coast. In 2017, the Government of the Northwest Territories Marine Transportation Services Division registered and reactivated six...

We went out and talked to all the manufacturers in the Northwest Territories. We have gone to all the regions and had this discussion. I will be tabling in this Assembly, in this session, the "what we heard" report around the manufacturers' strategy. I haven't even had a close look at it myself yet. I suspect that, if this is an issue with the manufacturers, it will be in the "what we heard" report. We will have a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have stated, we have put this to the working committee. I have reached out to the Northern Construction Association. Based on one person, again, am I willing to make legislation? Possibly. I am willing to sit down with the Construction Association and see if this is something that is of utter importance that needs to be done in a timely manner, to have a look at it. As of right now, with one person, I am not ready to move on legislation.