Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Literacy, volunteerism, tourism, museums, public health, are but a few of the programs here in the NWT which are devastated by the scattergun approach of federal cuts announced September 25th.

Mr. Speaker, no doubt there’s room to find savings of a billion dollars in the federal budget that now tops $200 billion, but once again the NWT is suffering disproportionately from ill-advised and uninformed federal program actions.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen rallies in the streets, postcard campaigns, letter writing. Few actions have caused such vocal and universal dismay among our people.

Mr. Speaker, one of the more ill-informed moves of this scattergun approach was the elimination of the Visitors' Rebate Program, which is shown to save potentially, or collect potentially, about $78 million over the next two years Canada-wide. Mr. Speaker, the federal government has a strange sense of value if it’s going to cut this program and one of the really essential and, I think, effective ways we have of promoting our tourism industry. What this means is that as of April 1st offshore travellers and tourists who currently do not have to pay GST on some items and on hotel stays will see a six percent hike. Here in the NWT, Mr. Speaker, that means conventions and meetings, hunters, anglers and adventurers, will have an instant six percent reason not to come to Canada.

Mr. Speaker, a number of countries are actually increasing the number of goods and services that are eligible for this, but here in Canada we’re going backwards. Every new tourism dollar that we get here in the NWT is hard earned. This is a step backwards. It will hurt us, Mr. Speaker, as the elimination of the Visitors' Rebate Program will require passage of new federal legislation. I urge this government and everyone here to take a strong stand against the elimination of the Visitors' Rebate Program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause