Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Along the same lines as making sure that high school students have all the opportunity in the world to build their experience, whether it be economy of care or whether it's trades, I am hearing from some employers that there is a concern that, in order to qualify for the trades wage subsidy, their apprentice needs to accomplish a minimum of 30 hours of work during the week. Some of the apprentices are high school students through the SNAP program and obviously cannot accommodate 30-hour-a-week minimums. I am wondering if the program is willing to work with...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just some general comments on the capital plan or the capital acquisition plan as a whole. The plan that is before us is the largest capital acquisition plan that this Assembly has seen to date and represents quite a substantial amount of money. I think what the red flag for me here is: who did not go through the difficult process of making difficult decisions to decide what this government could handle as far as commitments that were to be made and projects that needed to go forward? Because I think for me what the question there is: can the NWT handle this...

I agree that immigration is a great thing, and I agree that the local business community is very excited to work with people who are coming to enrich the lives of Northerners and to add to our economy. I do not agree, though, that the sole focus or the only focus in this case of ITI is to support people who are involved in the program. ITI's job is to support also northern entrepreneurs and Northerners who are trying to make it as business owners, so what I am wondering is: what does the Minister of ITI suggest as far as how local business owners protect themselves in these business dealings...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to gain a little bit of extra clarity. In relation to the good-faith deposit, the GNWT has collected roughly $225,000. I am wondering if there was an expense that the GNWT felt that they incurred by running the program that would justify keeping that? Thank you.

No. I appreciate knowing that that was kept three times. Can the Minister speak to what happens to this deposit, and was it ever used to support damages to local businesses that were incurred by local businesses in relation to this program?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. The NWT Nominee Program for the business stream used to have a $75,000 good-faith deposit. I am wondering if the Minister can explain what purpose the deposit did serve? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am just wondering if the GNWT, when requesting bids or tenders or contracts for vehicles, is specific to the make and model of the vehicle or if they leave it open so that different suppliers are able to bid on the contract and not just, for example, Ford or GM or Dodge, and so that it's a little bit more open and different businesses can bid on the contract? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's words, and I appreciate the fact that she does come from a very distinct legal background. I would like to suggest that, given that the North is definitely always looking for ways to build capacity and always looking for ways to empower local business owners, that potentially the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment can put some weight behind helping build that strength within the northern business community to make sure that everybody has tools at their disposal to set themselves up for success. Thank you.

I would speculate that the expenses to the department would be in the form of salary dollars to people who would remain employed whether or not someone was participating in the program. I can say that there may be business owners in our communities who have been hurt, not directly by the program, I will say, but by people not fulfilling their obligation to the agreement that was in relation to the program. These people have not been compensated through the good-faith deposit. What I am wondering is if there is a mechanism for people, for business owners within our communities, to receive...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am understanding that there was a good-faith deposit that was instituted by the Government of the Northwest Territories to ensure that applicants met their agreement with the Northwest Territories to come here, set up business, participate in northern economy, and to really form relationships with local businesses. I also understand that three times the GNWT kept deposits when that did not work and that not necessarily was that ever passed along to local businesses that may have incurred damage because of this program. What I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, is:...