Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me speak to the matter in Whati first. I'm very happy to be able to say that, with the recent signing of the infrastructure cooperation agreement between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Tlicho Government, part of that agreement was, in fact, that the GNWT is now supporting the option for a fibre optic line to Whati. This is going to be a project that would be led by the Tlicho government, but the GNWT is going to partner and provide support as well as some financial supports in terms of preparing their project. That is a very exciting opportunity...
I think that is a very good idea, but I am not at the point yet where I can say for sure whether or not that will be the outcome of the procurement review that is under way, or about to be under way, I suppose. Again, I think I have already committed in the House that the idea of developing and Indigenous procurement strategy is something that I will commit to. Whether that includes a specific target or not, again, that is but one of many good ideas that I think are coming from the dialogues that we're having in this session on this topic.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the interests of having only 59 minutes, I'll try to be a bit brief. It's a huge question. A few highlights, really, and I want to acknowledge at the outset that there is always more that can be done. This is a territory that is 50 percent Indigenous, and many of the communities are 100 percent Indigenous. I first want to acknowledge that there is always more that can be done.
A couple of things: there are regional economic development plans that fall under the responsibility of ITI, and if we can be successful in delivering those in partnership with the Indigenous...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Returning again is deputy minister of Finance, Sandy Kalgutkar.
That is the first time I've had it raised to me that that is an option or a solution that we should be pursuing, and I agree with the Member's statement that there is short-term and there is long-term. Yes. Absolutely, short-term, I'd like to see this project to Whati in partnership with the Tlicho Government advance, and then, beyond that, to get the satellite communities to the state where they have gained access to low Earth orbit satellite system. Then, beyond that, I will give you the words that I was told by the federal counterpart, which is: dream big. If we're being told to dream big...
Right now, there are no plans in place to be extending the fibre line to Gameti and Wekweeti. The first step is to get it as far as Whati. Again, working in combination with the Tlicho Government, it may well be that, if we are successful in our applications to the federal government for their support and their funding in regard to that project, that, from there, we may well be moving on to Gameti and Wekweeti, but we have to lay the first line first.
There are business supports that ITI does have in terms of providing business mentorship. The Business Mentoring Program run through ITI has been, in fact, oversubscribed for the last two years, so I think that speaks to its success. I certainly would plug that program. There are certainly funding supports through ITI, for example, with the SEED Program that can help businesses as they are getting started. Then, of course, in terms of accessing contracting, there are the existing programs under BIP, for instance, that can help businesses gain access to government procurement, and there are...
I had the opportunity to review the materials around the 8(a) Program that comes out of the United States, and I can't say that that program has been looked at as a model for the Northwest Territories. I do want to assure the Member that ITI does look at best practices that come from across Canada in terms of how we are supporting local business and will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: "Budget Dialogues 2020: What We Heard Report, September 2020." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The point of the program is to encourage, well, to encourage a number of things. This is meant to be a program that brings folks into the community who can fulfill our labour shortage needs, who can bring direct investment into the economy, who can come and help add dimension to the local business community. However, if, in fact, there have only been three occasions in the last 10 or so years where it got to the point where they were unable to meet that commitment by way of having their deposit forfeited, Mr. Speaker, really that is a pretty good track record, overall. Really, the reason it's...