Hay River South

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 68)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we work very closely with the Department of Education on this matter. A question like that probably would be better served going to the Minister of Education. I can say, on behalf of the Minister of ITI and our department, that the Government of the Northwest Territories takes this very seriously. You can see that in our partnerships. You can see it with industry partnerships with the mining industry and the Mine Training Society, how that has worked out, how it has linked education and employment and economic opportunities right across the whole territory for...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 68)

As the Member will know from reading the strategy, it is focused heavily on increasing the capacity of the Northwest Territories Manufacturers' Association to be a voice for the manufacturers. We have continued to meet with them on a timely basis and make sure we get a lot of input from them as we move this thing forward.

At the same time, we want to use this strategy to connect them with funding and training programs that are available to them. Just because you are in manufacturing doesn't mean you actually know about all these programs that are out there. We are going to work on that with...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 68)

Standing committee has the manufacturing strategy in their purview, and I am looking forward to the comments that come back from committee on that. With that said, I think the issue the Member is highlighting is one that has been identified in the past. We have addressed it. We have taken a number of steps to improve the understanding and the application of our manufacturing policy, both to the manufacturers and to our GNWT procurement departments. I know for a fact that we have done that. We have taken these steps. We have even taken steps where we have sponsored facility tours and updated...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

The topic of rentals and other STL policy elements, such as terms, have been discussed with all current interest holders in the Northwest Territories and representatives of the intergovernmental council during the development and amendments of the Petroleum Resource Act and Oil and Gas Act.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The federal government has never charged rental rates on significant discovery licences, provided there was a significant discovery declaration in place when the STL was issued. Among the terms and conditions tied to exploration licences, a 25 percent work bid deposit was paid and drilling activity was required in order to maintain the licence for a full term. Interest holders are also required to pay rentals in the second period of an exploration licence as part of a condition to hold an exploration licence for nine years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

That is a fairly detailed question. I don't have the document in front of me. If I remember right, we list by client, by region, by sector, by program area, and so on in the document, but I think that I can confirm that there are two different accountings of the same funding.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ITI supports the economy in a bunch of different ways. The grants and contributions document is a testament to that. It is a roll-up of various ways that we invest in industry, businesses, and entrepreneurs across the Northwest Territories. That said, we also have appropriate but different ways of reporting out of each of these funding areas. We presently have various accounting spending in this House. I have tabled the BDIC report in this House, community futures, investments in the Northwest Territories Tourism Marketing Plan. Staff and myself regularly get out and...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

I will try to make the afternoon, seeing as it's a Friday. This is an interim measure that we have put in place because we saw there was a gap in this one post devolution. The PRA is going to be taken on the road by the Member and his committee, and there will be input from the public if they want to have input on this. Everyone in the Northwest Territories can have input on legislation that is going to be put out there, amongst consultation with all members of the Northwest Territories, industry, and Indigenous governments, and I welcome all comments back on what we want to do around SDLs...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

I don't see why we can't do that. We can certainly have a conversation with the Member. I will talk with the department, but I don't see why we would not make those rates public if we are going to impose them on industry.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 67)

The proposed amendments that we have put forward for the PRA do include a requirement for the Minister to make the text of any significant discovery licence publicly available, future STL rental rates, and how STL work will be credited. It will also be specified in the future call for bid documents. Whether or not we publicly release the rationale for the rates that we might apply is more of a policy decision at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.