Yes, that is the exact rate that is sunsetting, but we are still going to allocate $160,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am looking at a figure of $100,000, but if the Minister wants to bump it up to $160,000, I would be very happy with that. Is he proposing an increase? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $160,000, to make it clear, comes from SEED. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. There is $100,000 listed here in the mains on this page. Another $60,000 comes from SEED. Is that what I am hearing? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
I think I got this right. Actually, I am going to defer it to the director.
Ms. Mujcin.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In 2017-18, there is $100,000 for the film rebate program along with $160,000 in SEED allocated to film. The rebate program sunsets after 2017-18, at which time it will be $160,000 from SEED still allocated on an ongoing basis for film. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Mujcin. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you. I appreciate the clarification from the departmental staff. Does this represent good value for money? Are we going to just rely on SEED to do this, or are we going to invest some of our own money in this as well? More directly, Mr. Chair, can the Minister answer that? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I read this correct, amount rebate approved that was spent was $94,000, and the film rebate program resulted in $344,000 in spending in the NWT, so it would be good value for money. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am glad to hear that, because that is my understanding as well. What is the plan moving forward? We are just going to have $160K, then, in SEED that is available for support for the film industry? What is the feature of this effort on this sector of the economy? Are we just going to let this die, or are we going to continue to invest in it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. From my understanding, the $160,000 is going to be hard to spend, the way things are looking right now. As we move forward, as the industry grows and picks up and diversifies the economy and brings bigger production films to the Northwest Territories, just like anything else, we will have to review it and see if we need to put more money into it. Right now, we are comfortable with that amount. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the comments from the Minister, but if we do not continue to provide support for the industry, I do not think it will continue to grow. I do want to move on, if I could. I think it is 204, the active positions page. Is that something I can do at this point, Mr. Chair? Yes.
As I understand it, there are two positions that are going to be lost in the department as a result of this budget. The only two positions seem to be in economic diversification and business support. Can the Minister explain to me how this supports our mandate of economic diversification, when the only two staff positions that are being lost are in economic diversification and business support? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is a reduction of three regional petroleum advisors on this page. These positions are located in the Beaufort Delta, Sahtu, and Deh Cho region. Oil and gas activities are very low, so that's one of the reasons for that, is we know that's -- we don't believe that thing is going to happen there for at least another 10 years. These reductions were offset partly by the addition of investment in an immigration officer position which is located in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just want a second here to review my notes, if I could. I don't think I have any other questions on this. Actually, I do, sorry.
The agricultural strategy, it's going to get tabled in the House. The only funding, then, that we're going to have available for this is whatever we might be able to negotiate with the federal government for Growing Forward 3; is that what's going to happen, Mr. Chair? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we said we were going to try to look after this internally, this initiative, but we also have the growing forward money going forward with that and we also have the Northern Food Development, which I believe has $550,000 in it, too, as well, to try to this move this initiative forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So as I understand it then there's no new money in this budget for anything that might come out of the agricultural policy; is that the case? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, there is no new money, but one of the things that we did when you look at this budget moving forward, we have created a new division to help prop up the agriculture strategy, and we believe this is early days in this initiative and that's a good investment moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell us where this new agricultural division is going to be located, and how many staff, and so on? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's not a new agricultural division per se. When you look at -- as the Member asked -- when he first did his opening comments on page 190 is how we've divided up the department. If you look on page 190 there's a director of economic diversification on the bottom of that page. That person is going to look after agriculture, commercial fisheries, arts, fine crafts, hide procurement program, and marketing and promotion of the Mackenzie Valley fur, as well. So that's been separated out of the diamond division stuff. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to congratulate the Minister for doing that. That's something I raised in the last review of the main estimates during the business plans as well. The need to make sure that the organizational chart actually reflects a concrete effort at economic diversification, because we've got these big stuff and big sections in here for mining and oil and gas but nothing really concrete on the economic diversification side. So congratulations to the new leadership in the department. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly, your time has expired. Next I have Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I got part of my question answered here, but I'm going to ask it anyway and it might be a carryover to the next activity. We lost one position; it's a small community, and I know the individual. I can see the merit behind the cut, but by the same token if it's the petroleum advisor initiative there's still petroleum beneath where this position sits. So I'm kind of thinking, if this is going to be a carryover or a possible carryover mid-term to this budget, if there's allowances for re-hire on a part-time basis should remedial responsibilities and potential opportunities in the reclamation of the Norman Wells oilfield occur that might warrant justification for reinstatement. Is that being considered? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, we would not be considering doing that right now. As I've said, we don't believe oil and gas is going to come back into the Northwest Territories for some time. The duties for this position, though, we believe will be carried forward by the client service and community relations division and ITI, which manages similar duties. So we believe that, if something does happen in the short-term, we will be able to fill that from internally. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll wait for my second half of the question here on the next activity. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Anything further? Comments or questions? Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On the commercial fisheries industry supports there was $1.4 million earmarked in the last budget to go towards the development of a facility in Hay River. Yourself, Mr. Chair, would have raised this in question period. I wonder if the Minister can just clarify why that disappears in this budget and what the plan for that funding is. Has it been spent? How is this money being disposed of? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $1.41 million was included in the 2016-17 main estimates and was an initiative funding approved for one year, so it was there for one year as part of the Economic Opportunities Strategy.
As I've said in the House, this is sunsetting in 2017-18 and if we don't get something done with our partners in leveraging this money we'll be looking for a carryover and hopefully be able to get something done after the next fiscal year-end. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So accounting mechanics aside, the intention is to invest this money in the commercial fishery in Hay River? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
