Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask a question to the government in terms of the recent economic crisis that is happening around the world and also Canada and possibly here in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Premier to see if there is any type of regional economic stimulus from the people of the Northwest Territories as to how they could deal with this crisis that has happened before us in terms of how we can incur economic stimulus in our own regions in terms of dealing with the recession. Thank you.
The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of the economic crisis the country has been caught in, we have been affected by a global economic climate and we have been involved for quite some time in trying to do our own stimulus. That is through advancement of the Building Canada Plan with the federal government as well as increasing our own contributions towards the capital side of it. I have had a number of regional meetings with regional aboriginal leadership on a number of factors. There has been ongoing work that we are doing through our budgeting process that would see still a substantial amount of spending. Minister Miltenberger will be delivering a budget that, I believe, will show a further investment in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly look forward to the Minister’s budget address as to what stimulus could be happening in our region in terms of the economics. I would like to ask the Premier in terms of the discussions with the regional entities of the Northwest Territories, has the Premier also looked in turn to what type of opportunities funds could be available to stimulate the Northwest Territories in terms of stabilizing or having some security for people of the Northwest Territories? There is funding out there that isn’t within the privy of private Members to be involved in, but there are some funds out there that the Cabinet could look at to make available to our northern businesses.
Mr. Speaker, the fact that there are quite a number of programs that are already being delivered by the Government of the Northwest Territories through a business development investment corporation that lends money to companies for $2 million and under. The Opportunities Fund that has been in existence for quite a number of years looked at $2 million and over. In fact, the Minister of ITI is looking and has, in fact, brought a paper forward to revise that policy. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly look forward to the department’s revised policy on this Opportunities Fund, because that is one of the issues that I would like to see. One of the constituents that I got a call from yesterday didn’t know about this fund and was quite shocked and said what is this government doing lending, aiding, investing, whatever interpretation we put on it to discover where in the point of $34 million? Why is the government not supporting the northern aboriginal businesses in terms of this? I look forward to that policy. Can the Premier commit that this policy would see a significant change in terms of helping out the people of the Northwest Territories first in terms of their business? Can the Premier commit to that direction in terms of policy changes?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of ITI is working around that policy development. We will be bringing it forward for review as they put some parameters around it. The discussion as the Member has raised, the area of the loan that has been discussed out there in the public now, in fact, has quite a number of partners and in fact quite a number of regions, groups and development corporations in the Northwest Territories that do provide corporate taxes to the Government of the Northwest Territories that employs quite a number of people that provide payroll tax and personal income tax to the revenues of this government then that feeds other programs across the Territory. So there is an investment issue that we have looked at. The simple fact, as the Member spoke of the concerns around the economic crisis that we are in, is that at times we have to look at the companies that are existing in the Northwest Territories and do we support them in remaining in business. Thank you.
Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly support the companies that are doing business in the Northwest Territories. I guess I am looking at the long-term standing and it’s different interpretations that regional companies in the Northwest Territories in my region are sustaining, that have paid taxes, are lifelong people in my region that are looking for opportunities. When they see in the headlines in the newspaper of a loan being paid out to Discovery Air from Ontario, they get quite upset. They are asking to see who this government is looking after. I agree with the Premier in terms of employment contributions. We want to look after our people first. I ask the Premier, can he commit within this Assembly here within a month or two weeks, can he see that these changes that would affect the needs of northern people in their businesses that are accessing this Opportunities Fund? Can he see a commitment very quickly?
Mr. Speaker, one thing we have to realize is that this opportunity fund is not grant money. It is money that has to be paid back to the federal government, so due diligence on any proposal will have to be done. The Minister is working on a package. He will be coming forward with a package. Let’s be clear. In using this one company in talking about it, being it is from southern Canada, Denendeh Helicopters, Deh Cho Regional Helicopters, Sahtu Helicopters, Gwich’in Helicopters, Highland Helicopters, Tli Cho Helicopters, Colville Lake, Fort Good Hope, Wrigley, Deline, Tli Cho Air, Lutselk’e Air Services all part of this form a partnership of this group so, in fact, this company is quite involved with regional bodies, with development corporations that employ people in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
