Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, I’ve been informed that an applicant to the Growing Forward Program had received some money, but they used it for holidays and to take people away.
I’d like to ask the Minister of ITI, when we give money to applicants in programs like this, how often are they screened and evaluated in a follow-up process to make sure this doesn’t happen on a regular basis? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not familiar with the suggestion that somebody was using program dollars for a vacation. If the Member wants to give me some details, I’m certainly more than happy to look into that. Thank you.
Thank you. I’ll certainly make sure the Minister receives those particular details, but one of the problems that I’ve seen with the Growing Forward Program is that the department doesn’t do a follow-up evaluation and certainly sort of a measured context as opposed to reporting back to find out how the money was spent and how it was enabled to do more as it always promised.
What type of screening, evaluation monitoring and management of the information and certainly the investment of the money is done by ITI and how is that distributed back to the public? Thank you.
Thank you. On an annual basis we table the grants and contributions report detailing the program dollars that we do get out there. Program dollars are delivered on a regional basis and we’ve got lots of examples of how that money is being put to good use here in the Northwest Territories. We’re developing an agricultural industry here in the NWT, we signed a new agreement with the federal government last year and we’re moving forward in a very positive manner. We’re also going to be developing an agricultural strategy and a firm, solid policy base for agriculture here in the NWT. I certainly look forward to the Member and other Members’ input into the development of that strategy. Thank you.
Thank you. Well, we all know where the money is going because it’s found in a report, that report is tabled, it’s available at the library or on-line. That’s all great information, but is there any follow-up compendium to know how the money was spent and what were the results achieved out of that type of money, because that would have all been part of the application to say I need X amount of dollars and this is what I plan to do with them.
Do we know if they actually did the stuff that they’ve applied for and met the spirit and intent of the application? Thank you.
Thank you. We do have professional staff across the Northwest Territories that does follow-up with folks that access dollars through those programs. If the Member has a specific concern over a specific application, or funding that went somewhere and wasn’t followed up on, again, I’d be more than happy to sit down with the Member or hear his concerns about a specific application and we can follow that up. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Time for oral questions has expired. Oh, sorry, Mr. Hawkins, final, short supplementary.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate your generosity there. The Minister says that people follow up, I can provide examples where people don’t follow up on grants and contributions given to individuals where they’ve applied to the department. All I want to know, and I think the public deserves to know right now, is where is this all reported? It’s great we know we can go to, say, group X or business X or NGO X and they got so much money, but we want to know to make sure that they did spend the money as they said they would. So we just need to make sure that that’s the case. That’s the issue right now. We want to see where it’s publicly reported, not just because the Minister says he knows. I want to see it reported. Thank you.
Thank you. Again, we table, on an annual basis, the grants and contributions report. Again, if the Member has any specific concerns, please bring them to my attention and we will follow them up. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Moses.
