Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be back in the Legislative Assembly here with my colleagues as we continue to work on behalf of the residents of the Northwest Territories. I would like to begin with the issue of our economy. Mr. Speaker, our economy here in the Northwest Territories is growing. Since 1999, our economy has grown by 71 percent. Mr. Speaker, we have been dubbed by our Premier and other federal politicians as the future economic engine of this country. Interestingly enough, our economy last year grew only one percent. The questions that I have about this, Mr. Speaker, is how real is our economy? Who exactly is benefitting from all of this economic activity?

In my estimation today, there are over 2,000 migrant workers in the Northwest Territories. This would equate to well over $200 million in wages that exit this territory annually. We have a problem, Mr. Speaker. We continue to sit by and let the jets fly workers in and out of the South. Now, they don’t even have to stop anywhere; right over our heads, Mr. Speaker.

As if that is not bad enough that our resources continue to be taken from our soil without any revenue flowing through our northern governments, many of these people working to take these resources from our soil are taking with them over $200 million that doesn’t get into our economy or our local businesses, Mr. Speaker. To many, our government continues to be seen as the big loser in all of this.

In addition to the migrant worker concern, another issue I have with the reality of our economy is how much corporate revenue actually stays in the Northwest Territories. Joint ventures and other partnerships, out of convenience, are taking millions of dollars out of our economy. We have to do something to identify and protect true northern businesses and ensure that money, jobs and opportunity stay here at home. If it means strengthening the current business incentive policy, let’s do something about it. There is a big difference between a company who has employees and infrastructure here in the Northwest Territories than a company with a phone, a fax machine and a warm body who, when they get a contract from this government, bring in workers from the South. As a government, we have to get a handle on what we are losing and take measures to stop the exodus of dollars from our territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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