Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of ITI. I’ve spoken critically of ITI’s controlling, non-inclusive and delayed approach, not always intentional, I know, in delivering the Growing Forward Program at the community level, and its failure to germinate citizens’ enthusiasm and capacity to carry projects forward.
Yesterday I learned of one more example. Rather than turn granted money over to a YKDFN community garden for supplies, ITI made the purchases on the basis of the YKDFN supplied list. This stuff arrived and it’s the wrong stuff. Yet again the garden is put back further in starting at this critical planting date.
What’s up, Mr. Speaker? The wrong stuff is bought because the department simply is not knowledgeable in this area. The result is there’s another loss of project control for the gardeners; they lose the opportunity to develop purchasing and ordering skills.
Why are we persisting in this approach rather than an enabling an approach that grows real experience and capacity?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m familiar with the community garden in Ndilo. I had the opportunity a couple weeks back to have a tour of the garden itself and get into K’alemi Dene School. Talking to one of the contractors down there, she had mentioned that there was some work required on that community garden. This is the first I’ve heard of wrong supplies being ordered, but we will certainly look into what transpired in this case and make sure that the necessary goods arrive in Ndilo so that the garden can proceed.
Thanks for that commitment from the Minister. I will note that in two weeks from now the days start getting shorter. Unfortunately, there’s more. As of today, well into our brief but intensive growing season, YKDFN is still waiting for approval on the basic supplies. No word back on buying seedlings, seeds and equipment. Surely ITI wouldn’t have placed the first order if it weren’t going to approve the remainder. It’s June 4th and the season is running on.
Will the Minister commit today to blowing out this log-jam and getting this garden project approved now? This community can’t afford another growing day lost.
There is obviously a need to get this work done, and I will give the Member the commitment that I will go back to the department and try to find out exactly what is happening and how we can continue to move the community garden project forward in Ndilo, without hesitation.
I very much appreciate the Minister’s commitment there. Part of the problem here is that nature does not run on a fiscal year basis. I’ve talked to the Minister about this. We’re delivering a $6 million agricultural support program on a bureaucratic cycle that won’t consider applications until months after the seed orders should have been placed.
This program has five years of dedicated funds we know are guaranteed. Applicants say they will have their plans for next year by January 1st. They plan ahead. Why can we not adjust this application contribution agreement process with the standard qualifier clauses stating contingency of funds of being available, and tune this program up for delivery on a growing year rather than the fiscal year cycle?
That is certainly something I believe the department will be looking at. It makes perfect sense to allow the funding to flow when it’s needed, and not on a financial calendar or a bureaucratic calendar, but instead with the true growing season in mind so that we can make the most out of the money that we have. The good news is we are going to be spending another $6 million in the area of agriculture over the next five years, and that’s some good news.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister again. I know this Minister is interested and supportive of the gardening and food security issues. Many of the issues gardeners face relate to the lack of understanding and agricultural knowledge of ITI staff that gardeners must apply to or expect support from. As a consequence, highly qualified and experienced public gardeners and NGOs are stepping into the lurch only to be undermined by a lack of equally sound and knowledgeable support from government.
What will the Minister do to ensure this timely and quality support is available from ITI now and in future growing seasons?
Mr. Speaker, we have competent staff in the regions. We have competent staff here at headquarters. If the Member has some examples of, as he mentioned, staff not giving other folks the right type of information, I would be more than happy to have the Member write to me or write to the deputy minister and advise us of such occurrences. We have a big program to deliver and the staff that we have are trying their best to deliver the programs that we have. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
