Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of MACA, and it has to do with the lottery funds that I talked about in my Member’s statement earlier today. What would be required to get that reviewed and some of those funds from the lottery program going towards arts and cultural programs, rather than just to sports?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA is working with the NWT Council of Sports and Recreation partners to review the overall management of lotteries in the Northwest Territories. As the Member pointed out, the money is earmarked for sports, and that’s a good place for the money from the lotteries to be going. I’m sure the arts are another good place for it to go, but right now the money is earmarked specifically for sports and for the youth. That’s an issue that we continue to try and find funding for.
Thanks to the Minister for those comments. I don’t actually disagree that sports is a good place for revenues to go, but there is an additional need, still, for support for our arts and cultural programs.
As I mentioned in my statement, almost every jurisdiction in Canada does do that — provide some of their support to arts and culture. As well, most other jurisdictions provide dollars directly to sports programs. They don’t just rely on the lottery revenues.
I’d like to find out how we can get this done. How can we modify this program? This is input from the public. It’s not something I’m coming up with by myself. I’m sure you’ve heard the same. How can we get a review of how this can be done and start thinking about how we can dedicate some of those revenues to arts and cultural programs?
Mr. Speaker, as I said on answering the first question, there is a review. They’re working with the Council of Sports and Recreation and doing a review.
As far as earmarking some of the money to sports goes, I mean, that’s something they would have to come up with once they do the review, if the review gets done, and then decide from there how they’re going to distribute the money.
Like I said — and the Member didn’t disagree with me — the money from the lotteries is not that much. As the Member knows, it costs a lot of money to supply supports to youth across the Northwest Territories: bringing them to tournaments and helping fund some of their events. While both are very important issues, I think youth is still where the lottery money should be going unless a review is done and there is an agreement to divide up the funds.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t disagree with that. I just think that what we should be discussing is whether those dollars for youth should be going strictly to sports or whether they should be going to sports plus arts and cultural programs.
Are arts organizations represented in this review that the sports and recreation organization is doing? If they’re not, then it’s hardly surprising what they would come out with. So can we get arts organizations — territorial arts organizations, regional arts organizations — participating with the Council of Sports and Recreation in doing that review?
Mr. Speaker, arts aren’t presently part of the review. It’s a review done with the NWT Council of Sports and Recreation and MACA.
I think the Member is well aware that there was $500,000 recently allocated to enhance arts and culture funding. As I said, arts are not part of the review process. It’s just between MACA and the NWT Council of Sports and Recreation.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My fingernails are still recovering from my work trying to get the government to do that. I’m very well aware of that $500,000. In fact, I acknowledged that clearly in my statement earlier today, and I’m very appreciative of that.
What we’re talking about here is revenue dollars from the lottery. I would like to hear the Minister commit to put some attention into considering that arts be included in the beneficiaries of those lottery dollars, as per the request of people throughout the Northwest Territories. I’m not saying scoop it all. I recognize the importance of our sports programs and that lottery dollars do this. I think, as I mentioned, there could be a big effort on the part of the arts community to help generate more dollars from the lottery revenues.
Mr. Speaker, the money from the lotteries, as I said, will continue to go to the sports groups. The Member has asked if arts could be a part of this review. That’s something we’ll have to take up with the department and see if there is an appetite to have them as part of this review.
Again, I’ll say to the Member that the money that lotteries collect isn’t a huge amount, and it costs a lot of money to run sports programs in the NWT. It costs a lot of money to have arts and culture in the NWT too. But right now the priority is on the youth. We don’t want to generate more revenue by saying, “Play more lotteries.” That sends the wrong message.
I think the fact that the lottery money is going to the youth is a good start for now, but I assure the Member I will discuss with MACA the possibility of having arts at the table if there’s an appetite for it.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
