Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess when you wear rose-coloured glasses, red tape just looks like tape. I think that's sort of the issue we are running into here with this cross-departmental comprehensive plan to help small businesses. The Ministers don't seem to see a problem. I can't believe I'm bringing this up, but I'm going to discuss a few policies here.
The first is procurement. At first, there were no issues. Then he's heard issues from one or two people. Now it's five people he's heard issues from. I've heard issues from 15 people off the top of my head. I get CCed on the same emails that go to the Minister a lot of the times. I see people coming out of this building, and I know that they have talked to the Minister about it. I know he has heard it more than five times. I'll ask this because the number keeps growing: how many people have to come to the Minister with procurement issues before he considers it to be an actual problem? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Member better take his rose-coloured glasses off, the way he's making comments, there. I have had a few people; like I have said, probably five people. I'm going to stay to five people who have come to me about procurement. The chair of SCEDE is doing a report. I will sit down and have that conversation with SCEDE, but I am not going to sit here and get into a debate if it's one, 10, or 15 people. If the Member has 15 people coming to him, maybe he should come to my office. He doesn't stop by my office and talk about procurement issues. He can do that any time he wants.
Maybe the Minister should begin reading his emails, Mr. Speaker.
Earlier, the Member from Yellowknife North brought up the standing offer agreements. The department has standing offer agreements with firms from the south. The Minister stated that northern firms don't have the expertise, and that's why they have to go to the south. What other options has the department looked at? Have they looked at perhaps requiring some northern content when these firms get these agreements, or going to local companies and helping them build that expertise?
Why does it always have to be on the back of the Government of the Northwest Territories? Can Members tell me, why does it always have to be on the back of the government? I am a private businessperson. If I have an issue with a particular type of tender and I don't have the expertise for it, I will reach out to counterparts in southern Canada to help me. You guys seem to think it's on the back of the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Government of the Northwest Territories is here to help facilitate and grow the economy and look after the residents of the Northwest Territories. We are not here to get into individual businesses and do the day-to-day transactions that they need to do and grow their businesses. That's on the back of the entrepreneur.
That's what ITI does. That's their mandate. That's what the officers do every single day. Well, I'll move to SEED now, since I'm talking about all these policies here. Earlier, the Member from Nunakput was asking about remedies for business owners who were adversely affected by the disruption of barge resupply, and the Minister recommended that they contact ITI about SEED. SEED funding is being used to compensate for this failed barge delivery. Where is the SEED money coming from, Mr. Speaker? Is it coming from that region's pot of money, or is it coming from the entire territory?
The Member is talking about hypotheticals, because I said that's where they could go if they had an issue with it. We don't know if there is an issue with it. Each region has their own allocation for SEED money. If there is some sort of over-pouring amount of money that we have to have a look at, I will certainly have a look at the situation.
Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I haven't seen the situation first-hand, but I take my fellow colleagues at their word. If the Member for Nunakput says there is an issue, then I believe there is an issue.
My final question is that, you know, we have had a lot of questions around the table here. It always comes down to how much money we have. The Minister says, "I only have this much money in my budget." Well, I think I've sat running through supplementary estimate deliberations where the government says we need more money, then we sit down and we give them more money. Will the Minister bring forward a supplementary estimate to improve supports for entrepreneurs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
No, I will not.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
