Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Tuesday, the Minister of Infrastructure said, "What BC is trying to do, I am not even sure if they are doing it. I have to double check." Can the Minister tell us if he or his department has reached out to BC government on how they deal with out-of-province contractors? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. After our conversation the other day, I talked to my assistant deputy minister, and she is in conversations with BC, and we are actually gathering some more information on internal trade on this issue.
I am hoping the Minister can share that with me when he gets it together. Mr. Speaker, the Minister also quoted, "I have a lot of opportunities to speak to different people about BIP." Has the Minister spoken to northern contractors, specifically those in the southern part of the NWT, about their concerns regarding the new way the Business Incentive Policy has been implemented?
For the last three years that I have had this file, I have very limited conversation with industry around the BIP policy, as I said. In particular in the Member's riding, I cannot recall any of the major contractors in his region reaching out to me and having a discussion about it.
The Minister said, "A lot of people do not understand our BIP adjustment is subject to [the] Canadian free trade agreements and international [...] agreements." Can the Minister advise us how BIP has an impact on the Canadian free trade and international agreements moving forward?
When we are negotiating these agreements, internal trade or external international trade agreements, BIP is something, to put in simple terms, that we try to protect for the residents of the Northwest Territories. These things are negotiated through reciprocity agreements, and some provinces do not like the fact that we have this, in particular a couple of western provinces that are totally against it. However, we have been able to negotiate them into it to protect northern businesses and residents.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the Minister providing the answers to us here today. I realize the Minister thinks that the BIP policy is probably one of the best policies that the Government of the Northwest Territories ever created. I would have to agree. It is a great policy in the original state. However, it has been changed to what some northern contractors that I have talked to don't think is a great policy, and we are seeing more and more southern companies come north and taking away contracts and jobs. Will the Minister be willing to look at the policy that was originally in the books and try to bring it back forward?
As I have said and I have said it a number of times in the House, I believe BIP also is the best policy the Government of the Northwest Territories has done around economic opportunities to protect residents and businesses in the Northwest Territories, but that is not something that I can have a look at here in the remaining days of this government. We actually only have two weeks left. If that is a priority brought forward by the next 19 Members of this Legislative Assembly, the Minister of ITI will certainly have to have a look at it. That is a discussion to take place in the 19th. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
