Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about employment in Nunakput, and my questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mr. Speaker, my first question is: what has the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment done or is willing to do in order to help existing Nunakput culture become a source of employment and revenue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of ITI has worked extensively in all regions to promote these exact things across our territory. In this particular riding, the department has two economic development officers in his riding, one in Tuktoyaktuk and one in Ulukhaktok. They are on the ground there in the Member's riding to promote our programs in the region and be able to facilitate and steer clients to areas that support funding that suits their needs for their local region. The SEED policy is there to gear towards regional community applications, and I think it is a great program. If there are any other questions the Member has around that particular issue, I will gladly sit down with him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the response. Mr. Speaker, my second question for the Minister is: what has the government done so far to recruit and train or involve locals in the tourism industry?
In particular, as of late, I think the big tourism opportunities that have been there locally are around the cruise ship industries. Our staff have been in there the last two years when these ships come into the region and support economic development in the region and tourists spend their money. Our staff is there to help facilitate that. I think we have actually even used our programs to help facilitate providing opportunities around business opportunities with such a large influx of people who will come to shore when these boats come to town, but as I have said, we have our two economic development officers who are in the region to help facilitate these sorts of things going forward, not just around the cruise industry, but other types of tourism, be it hunting or guiding and these types of things, and we will always reach out to help facilitate that.
That is very useful information. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister work with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in order to create or build upon our community's employment potential within tourism and the creation of a possible deep-water port or small craft harbour?
I would gladly sit down and have a discussion with all of the leadership around the potential of a deep-water port in the Beaufort Delta region. I know it is something that is clearly on the minds of people in the Tuktoyaktuk community for sure. I have had casual conversations about that and how we can try to initiate and move that forward and how it can actually stir more economic development in the region and for the territory as a whole, depending on our approach to it.
I am sure it is on the federal government's mind as well, around sovereignty issues for the region and protecting the coastline. As we know, we have the largest coastline in North America, and a big chunk of it is in the Member's riding, so I would gladly sit down and have that discussion.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's openness in willing to work with Indigenous governments, as well as other departments in the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, earlier, I spoke about the Yukon's Sourtoe and how little things like that generate revenue in the Yukon, and Mr. Speaker, my final question for the Minister: is the Minister willing to donate a toe for a better knockoff of the Yukon's famous cocktail, which could potentially create revenue for generations to come? Mr. Speaker, please consider a Minister's toe versus a stranger's toe could generate a large difference in revenue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Laughter
That is a weird question, but anyways. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
I think I will defer that question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. He toes the line more than I do in this Assembly, but I believe his toe might be cheaper than mine, so the upfront costs would be a little bit better and revenues would be higher. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
