Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think one of the most important things that we can do for future generations is invest in the foundations of a strong and stable economy that can withstand the often tumultuous boom-and-bust cycle that our resource-driven industries so often leave us in. We want to diversify our economy. We want to reinvest in mining so we can use the benefits of that to fuel that diversification, to build a knowledge economy, to fund critical infrastructure. The one thing holding all of these objectives back, Mr. Speaker, are land claims or, as they should be known, land...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to the detailed information on that tourism destination marketing spending. With that, I will conclude my questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That decrease was from last year to this year. However, in the 2015-16 actuals, also listed on page 206, we see almost a million-dollar decrease to the NTGS. What explains that sharp loss in available funding? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the Minister for that clarification. How much contribution funding do we provide specifically for the purpose of destination marketing to NWT tourism and through other sources as well? How much are we spending on destination marketing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also note that, on page 206, the NWT geological survey, which does very important work providing exploration data to mining companies and prospectors, the budget is down from last year. I am wondering if the Minister can speak to the reasons for that decline. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister provide details of any other territorial parks that are in development? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am disappointed to hear that once again we are unable to look at investing in this subsidy, important subsidy for our economy. Last business plan, I asked the same questions and was told that this year may be different. What are the expectations that we will see this increase in this fund by next business plan? Thank you.

I do appreciate that the Minister is taking a firm position on this, and arguing that position. Just as a matter of course, I do not agree with it. I think if we are going to find those redundancies that we can live with, they should be redundancies that are based, or reductions that are based on evidence. Again, we see that the Minister does not have that information at his fingertips. The strategic planning process, what is the criteria for that? Is the criteria for that broad statements of fiscal responsibility and political direction like that, or is it a strategic plan that is based on...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is that all-season operations or only summer operations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, my honourable friend, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh asked about a program evaluation for the Teacher Education Program. I'd like to ask the Minister of Education: has a program evaluation been done, yes or no? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.