David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Government of Canada has eliminated funding to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation as of March 31, 2010;

AND WHEREAS the Aboriginal Healing Foundation was established in 1998 with a $350 million grant from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to help former students who were physically or sexually abused in the residential school system;

AND WHEREAS the Aboriginal Healing Foundation provided funds to more than 130 groups and initiatives across the country to provide cultural healing services to indigenous people;

AND WHEREAS the funding supports critically needed...

I’d like to move a motion to report progress.

---Carried

To the motion.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you. In regard to the policy itself, again, I noted in the policy that there are certain differences and I know that I used this scenario in Inuvik where you have three hotel companies. One is a private company, one is an aboriginal company and one is a southern company, but the Government of the Northwest Territories is only using one hotel with government employees to stay in Inuvik. So I’d like to ask the Minister if there’s a way to appeal a decision or a process where you find that it has basically been encumbering other companies from doing business with the government and one...

Sergeant-at-Arms, escort the witnesses in.

Mr. Minister, for the record, could you introduce your witnesses?

This totally undermines the whole concept of land claim settlements in the Northwest Territories and for aboriginal groups to develop an economic base so they can provide for their benefactors and the people in communities so that we are able to be self-reliant people. When this type of practice is done by the government to undermine those land claim agreements, the policy itself is in question. This policy, as far as I see it, shouldn’t be put forward to the implementation of the land claim agreements and see how it draws up to the land claims agreements. Are they exactly undermining those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 5, Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Act, and would like to report progress with one motion being adopted, and that Bill 5 is ready for third reading as amended. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister if he would be bringing in any witnesses. Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is dealing with the Business Incentive Policy. I think there’s a major problem with the policy. I’ll just go through some of the principles of the policy that are supposed to be applied.

The Government of the Northwest Territories adheres to the following principles when implementing the policy: the government referential practices should maximize benefits for the residents of the Northwest Territories to the government policy and procedures; should enhance the Northwest Territories business environment, ensuring sustainable economic growth; and the...