Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for Minister Ramsay today. I scanned the list of documents to be tabled this session, but I was disappointed not to see the promised Agriculture Strategy listed. We haven’t even had a whiff of a draft, in spite of it being promised by the end of this summer, long past.
This strategy, an intended action plan, has been called for by the citizens of the Northwest Territories for decades. With only days effectively left to deal with this, can the Minister tell me when we can expect to see a draft of this long-awaited strategy? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve had some great forward momentum when it comes to agriculture here In the Northwest Territories. We’ve advanced the sector tremendously. We have a What We Heard document from consultations we’ve had with the public and stakeholders around the territory. We will be tabling that report in the House during this sitting. Thank you.
That’s good news. In the absence of a logical strategy, people have been pursing agriculture on their own, wrestling with volatile and inconsistent support and often barriers from this government. They have a lot of experience to share and they are hoping the government will actually hear them.
What consultative process is the Minister engaged in or was the Minister engaged in to hear from the people regarding a comprehensive NWT agricultural policy? Mahsi.
We had a tremendous amount of positive feedback from around the Northwest Territories. In talking with stakeholders, people were involved in the agricultural sector here in the NWT. We believe we had a consultative approach. As I said, we will be tabling the What We Heard report in the House probably sometime next week. The Member can see for himself who we talked to and what we are going to focus on. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. Agricultural policy is important to the future of sustainable local economies and food security for the communities in the North. If our people are to achieve the optimum level of self-sufficiency, the Economic Strategy must contain a comprehensive agricultural policy.
Is this promised agricultural policy a priority for this government given we are just hearing What We Heard and not a policy or is this another case of this government paying lip service to the sustainable localized economic development communities require while pursuing fossil fuel which should remain in the ground, for example? Mahsi.
I agree with the Member that this is a very important sector of our economy. I do take issue with some of the Member’s overtures that we are just paying lip service and that we are taking our time. Mr. Speaker, this is important to us. As I mentioned, we are going to come forward with the What We Heard report. We initially formed the basis of a draft Agriculture Strategy for the Northwest Territories.
This is too important to be rushed through. We are taking our time. We are listening to people and stakeholders around the Northwest Territories to ensure that we get this right because it is such a valuable component to our economic well-being as we move this territory forward. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again amazing context here between what’s real now on the ground and able to give us dividends versus the theoretical fossil fuel pursuit that gives us nothing. Given the need to diversify our economies and lessen reliance on boom and bust industries like that, our need for local sustainable jobs and food security, when will such a policy be in place? Mahsi.
I don’t have a crystal ball. I’m not sure who’s going to be back and who’s going to be in which position, but it’s safe to say, early in the life of the next government the Agriculture Strategy will be put forward to the 18th Legislative Assembly and debated by Members of that government. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
