Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement, I spoke about the eyes of the world being on Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics. We did have a presence at the Canada Winter Games. I understood that had made some difference to the amount of tourism we had up here.
I’d like to direct my questions today to the Minister of ITI. I’d like to ask him if the department has a plan to have a presence in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics.
Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. We were very pleased with the outcome of our participation at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse; our partnerships with Nunavut and Yukon on the marketing campaign; our N.W.T. House; and the athletes and performers and youth ambassadors who were there.
It is our intention to do the same thing again in Vancouver. Our government has entered an MOU with the governments of Nunavut and Yukon again, as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Committee, to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Mr. Speaker, I’d thank to thank the Minister for answering all four of my questions in one answer. I'm just trying to come up with something.
Laughter.
I’d like to ask the Minister if there’s a dollar figure attached to our participation in the MOU.
Mr. Speaker, we’ve had some discussions with Nunavut and Yukon governments. We have developed a proposal, and that will be subject to the outcome of our budgeting process.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for that.
I’d also like to ask the Minister: when we will know? Will committees be informed as to our plans and our actual participation in the Olympics and how everything is going to play out down there? When will we have an idea of when all this is going to play out?
Mr. Speaker, I expect that we’ll have that information as part of the business planning process in May–June. We have toured some sites in Vancouver in order to help us develop our business plan.
Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In answering my question before, the Minister had mentioned a proposal. I’d like to ask him if there was a dollar amount attached to this proposal that was put forward.
Mr. Speaker, there is a proposal that was put forward. I think it would be premature for me to indicate what that figure is, but we are looking at some substantial dollars.
