Debates of June 6, 2006 (day 6)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to raise awareness in this House to the need for support for small businesses in the North. It has again been brought to my attention that there is not enough support for small businesses as it relates to ongoing northern development and, more specifically, the proposed pipeline. Expectations were understandably raised since the division of RWED into Industry, Tourism and Investment and Environment and Natural Resources. Has there been anything new come from Industry, Tourism and Investment for small business since this division? Are there any new monies out there available for lending? Are there any contribution programs like the former EDA Program with the federal government?

If northern companies are going to participate and respond to the new demands that the pipeline will create, they need to know what will be available for capital and start-up funds for their business. Has the GNWT been in discussions with any banks or lending institutions on if they will be looking to finance small business involved in the pipeline and what their requirements would be? We need a commitment from this government to host a financial conference or workshop that brings small businesses and lenders together to discuss financing needs and solutions to ensure that those needs are met by lending institutions. When I talk about small business, Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the many owner-operated northern businesses that we have. There are a lot of potential investors out there as well, but this government does again need to play a role in facilitating matching those investors to the opportunities that will be here in the North.

Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate some answers and some action on the part of this government and, as someone has said, the opportunities for the pipeline are coming and are going to be going right by our door if we’re not prepared. We need to provide as much support to small business as possible and we can’t afford just to be offering kind of cliché answers to these kind of questions.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve been told time and again that businesspeople in the North feel that they could operate their companies more cheaply in the South, but they don’t want to leave the North. They want to be here; they want to employ northerners. But we have to ask ourselves what we can do to ensure that they have the support that they need to continue to live and operate their businesses here in the Northwest Territories. Later today, Mr. Speaker, I’m going to have questions for the Minister of ITI as to any new initiatives or anything on the horizon that will go directly to the issue of support for small business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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