Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Northwest Territories businesses expect the government to fulfill its commitment to maximize benefits of spending of public dollars in the North for the North. This is why we have the business incentive policy, Mr. Speaker. The Stanton audit states that we cannot prove that the single biggest project in the history of this time achieved this goal.

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of ITI. How do we assure northern businesses that the BIP is being used? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for that. I'm glad to hear that. Again, my only concern, and my question would be, that it's great that we have penalties in there but if no one is watching, what's the incentive for a company to follow through? So my concern is, again, that not only are we saying it but that we're doing it and that we're following up early on in the contract to ensure that these businesses that say they're going to use local businesses but, maybe for cost saving measures, get halfway through the contract and say I'm going to flip that and buy that product in the south...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. And, yes, I was aware in 2023 certainly the BIP had had some changes. I attended the workshop in Inuvik when they implemented -- they were talking about implementing goes. So I guess my question is who was watching? And previously, Mr. Speaker, people would fill out the BIP application but how are we now, I guess, being a little more robust in monitoring that and ensuring that those businesses that fill out that form are actually following through on the commitments they make to northern businesses in that form. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we won't be meeting again now until after Christmas, but I wanted to ensure everyone certainly the work will continue. Mr. Speaker, I've decided to put together a little wish list for Premier Santa and the Members of his workshop that I'd like to see accomplished and hopefully when we get back in February, we'll be discussing a positive change to those items.

The list, Mr. Speaker, would be way too long, and I wouldn't have time in my Member's statement to say them all, but I will highlight a couple, Mr. Speaker:

First of all, I wish for relief for the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee wishes to consider Committee Report 18-20(1), Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Interim Report on the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer and the Administration of the 2023 Territorial General Election.

As well, Mr. Chair, the committee would like to consider Committee Report 17-20(1), Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges Report by the Review of the Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in the past, there has been issues where the following up has kind of taken place halfway through the contract where it puts us in a position oftentimes not to be able to make a change because of the cost associated with that. I guess, can the Minister maybe speak a little more on the penalties and on monitoring these contractors early on in the contract versus previous years it's been a little later in the project. Thank you.

I won't take much time. Obviously, anybody who knows me and followed my campaign and followed me here, I'm in full support of Indigenous governments and am in full support of reconciliation. This one, Mr. Speaker, is a no-brainer. I commend the Cabinet and the Minister for bringing it forward and has my full support. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, when we were elected, we sat down here, all 19 of us, we sat in the conference room out there and we talked about what we wanted to do. Those who wanted to put their names forward for Cabinet talked about what they wanted to do. We talked about a top down approach. My background is corporate. Certainly, you know, I feel that in order for real change to happen, it has to happen from the top down. You have to have that leadership. We can't keep doing the things we've always done and expect a different result. We know that. It's been said many times. And, you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the Minister says the prices on our end haven't changed, we set the prices, so the contract states that the sale of liquor, sale of beer, sale of coolers, sale of liquor in the liquor store, is based on the prices set by the liquor commission, by GNWT. So ipso facto I guess our prices must have changed. Now, whether they changed through negotiation or not, but they would have had to have changed, Mr. Speaker. Has the price, previous to the end of this contract and now the price of the extension, has our price per liter changed, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I assume that with the extension, there was some increases obviously. I know that the liquor in the liquor store is sold by volume and not by -- and the prices are certainly set by the liquor commission, by this government. I guess my question is does the Minister -- obviously if the contract's expired, when is the current RFP scheduled to close?