Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is also under the line of commercial fisheries. I believe that's the industry support programs. The issue was brought to me by the fishermen, and I brought this up with the department at business planning. The issue is that this money is there to support the fishermen so we can get this industry going. Eventually, that money will be gone, I assume once the industry is profitable and that this sort of subsidiary isn’t needed. In the meantime though, it is needed.
The problem with it is that, after we approve this, it's going to take possibly months for this to go out. It's an ongoing issue when it comes to non-profits or these groups where we approve money and then it takes a long time for it to get where it's going. I know that we're not going to miss a paycheque. I know that the money's coming to us after April 1st. It doesn't take six weeks to get us paid.
Can we do something so that the fishermen can get this money that is coming to them April 1st, April 2nd, sometime sooner than May or June, when they've been getting it traditionally, because they use this money to gear up for the next season? They're already weeks behind by the time they get these payments because they're not using the money to gear up for the season. They're using what they have for rent and truck payments and that kind of stuff. Can we get the fishermen paid promptly this year? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, I met with some of the fishermen when I was home this weekend, and I thought that we'd have a winter fishery. I believe there would be a concern of mine going forward if that was to take place, but it doesn't sound like they're going to do any winter fishing this year. It is from my understanding talking to some of the fishermen, come April 1st when the new money rolls out, the fishermen can't get out on the lake until late June to do that part of it. We can have a look at this, but I always thought that the subsidiary was based on the amount of fish that was caught and that it was put out that way and not advanced in a manner based on fishermen or something like that. We can have a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that they're paid for the catches from the previous year. Perhaps that's inaccurate, but there are some monies that they would prefer to get upfront. Maybe that's for the Northern Food Program. Maybe that's through some other program, but that's one of the issues that was raised with me because, even though they're maybe getting out in June, they have to gear up for that in April or May.
In addition, I have questions about the Community Futures. I believe that's where we are here. Southwest Territorial Business Development Corporation, I believe that falls under Community Futures. Looking at the most recent report I could find, from 2015-2016, I see that there are seven development corporations. All are funded by ITI except for the Southwest Territorial Business Development Corporation. I was wondering if the Minister could explain why that is.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that the South Slave outfit is not asked to sign a contribution agreement with us when presented with them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's good to see that they don't need the government's support if they're doing it on their own.
I have a question about SEED funding. In the business plan, there's a very scant support for this program. I know it's a good program. I know from anecdotal experience that it's a good program, but in the business plan it basically says we've handed out this much money in SEED funding, this many people have applied for SEED funding, but that's not really support for why we should approve SEED funding.
Does the department have any sort of substantial information that it can present to the committee about how many jobs have been created through this or how many businesses have been created or anything like that, any sort of substantial information? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know we track a number of these things, and, if we were to get a number from standing committee, I'm sure we can go in front of committee and give them all that information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Maybe I'll talk to the committee about writing that down and sending it on out again. I’ve got a couple of minutes left. I'll talk about Growing Forward 2, I guess. I see that, in 2016-2017, they include the federal and territorial portions, $759,000. In 2017-2018, it was $1,032,000, I believe. This year, it's budgeted at $1.2 million. I know, if you look at the grants and contributions, the document that ITI produces, only a fraction of that money, less than half, goes out as grants or contributions to producers and to communities. I was wondering if the department could let us know what's going on with that other half-million-six, seven, hundred dollars that's being spent through Growing Forward 2. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is we provided that information to committee. That leftover money is usually used for raw materials, travel, salaries, those sorts of things. We can have another look at that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. $700,000, I wouldn't call that leftover money. That is the bulk of it. Whose salaries are we paying? Is this money being used basically for government programs as opposed to being diverted to producers and to entrepreneurs and that type of stuff? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding, under agreement with the federal government, we are only allowed to charge a certain amount of administration against this program. The rest of the money is spent out under the Growing Forward program as it is laid out. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have seen what the Minister has sent to committee. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars listed as "salaries and other." That is sort of what I am getting at. What is that? Can I get some more detail about what "salaries and other" exactly are? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will provide that to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to be sure that I can distribute that to interested parties. Is that something that I would be able to pass on to my constituents if requested? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will double check, but I am sure there is not an issue with that. It is no different than a grants and contribution report. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In the spirit of transparency, you could. Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have 40 seconds left, so I will go back to fishing. I believe the Minister mentioned there was a fishery position. I heard this also at the Fishermen's Federation meeting. Has someone been hired to help coordinate this revitalization strategy? If not, when will they be hired and where will they be located? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Schumann.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is going to be a fishery sector support officer. That position will be located in Hay River. It will be advertised as of April 1st. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. Mr. Simpson.
All right. Let me have a look here. You know what? That is okay. I will pick it up when we get back to the departmental total. Thanks.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I would like to know: there don't seem to be any line items here for economic diversification business support that might be related to supporting the arts other than there is a Great Northern Arts Festival contribution and the film industry rebate program. How does ITI Support the arts?
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We support the arts through -- so the Member knows, on page 215, the economic diversification line, the $3,396,000, and also through the SEED program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Really, it is just the SEED money, the Great Northern Arts Festival, and the film industry rebate program. That is it? Those are the only streams of money that are available for the arts? Is that what the Minister has just said? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Last year, ITI alone supported the arts with $1.6 million in total. I will read them out if the Member wants to write them down: arts and crafts, fine arts and performing arts, support under the SEED program, $725,697; festival SEED, $294,471; raw materials, $125; film promotion, $311; regional programming, $125,000; and marketing and promotion, $106,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. That was all SEED money, though; right? Is that what I think I heard the Minister say?
Thank you. Minister.
No, Mr. Chair. That is not all SEED. That is all of our allocation between SEED and the line on page 215, economic diversification line. There is some money that comes out of that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I accept what the Minister said, but maybe that item of $3 million needs to be broken down in the next main estimates or through the business plan to provide a little bit more information. I will double check the business plan on that myself, as well. I am sure the Minister is getting all prepared for this review of arts strategy with his colleague, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I want to move on to the agricultural strategy. I have seen there are a number of departments that have funding under the agricultural strategy. How is the implementation going to be coordinated, and how will performance successes be measured? Who is going to be doing that? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Department of ITI is leading the working group on this thing. We will be having them monitor the evaluation that will be following every step of the way on this going forward so that we will be able to track all the progress on the program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
