David Krutko

General comments. Mr. Ramsay.

Premier Roland, would you like to respond?

I’d like to ask the Premier if he’ll be introducing any witnesses

We’ll take a short recess and come back and deal with the sessional statement.

The Committee of the Whole took a short recess.

I call the Committee of the Whole to order.

We have Minister’s Statement 1-16(2), Sessional Statement. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen?

Mr. Speaker, as a government I think we do have an obligation to the residents of the Northwest Territories I’d like to ask the Minister if he is willing to consider opening the socioeconomic agreement to expand it to include other regions of the Northwest Territories for employment in the mining industry.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment in regard to industry, trade and investment. In regard to my Member’s statement, I mentioned a company out of Calgary that was recruiting individuals in the Mackenzie Delta and trying to find people to work in the oil and gas industry in Alberta, preferably Fort McMurray. Again, we also have other industries in the N.W.T. that seem to be lacking in that type of endeavour. So I’d like to ask the Minister: would he pass on a message to the N.W.T. Mining Association that they can try a similar arrangement by...

Mr. Chair, in regard to the Sessional Statement, I believe there’s a lot of good direction that’s in there. But I think it’s also how you interpret the direction to ensure that we’re all on the same wavelength.

I think it’s important that we, as government, realize that where we’re at today, we went through the same process in the 13th Assembly. And I think from having gone through that time frame, being here today 12 years later, we haven’t really got down to making any tough decisions yet.

I think it’s important to realize that we are going to have to make some tough decisions. There are...

General comments, Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Are we agreed?