David Ramsay

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Member for his comments and his concern. I do want to tell him and he knows I support the Sahtu, what is happening in the Sahtu, as does the government. We have made a commitment as a government to look at decentralization. This isn’t a regional office that we’re putting in Inuvik. There are nine new positions; it’s a headquarters function and they’re going to Inuvik.

We are moving forward with decentralization plans. There will be more coming, and I hope Members can understand and appreciate and have some patience with us as we continue to move forward and...

Mr. Chair, when you look at the Small Scale Food Program and other programs are administered at the regional level. If the Member has folks that are interested in the region, they could approach the ITI staff in the region to discuss the prospect of a small-scale abattoir being added to the community. Our ITI staff at the regional level are well equipped to answer the questions that folks may have.

Again, I will get back to one thing that I mentioned to MLA Bromley and that is the development of our Agriculture Policy and how it is we can fit in the things the Member is talking about, the small...

Absolutely, that would be our goal to do that and our anticipation is, hopefully, that some of those dollars would roll in this year.

Mr. Chairman, that position is going to be fully integrated with NWT Tourism. Thank you.

I certainly look forward to the discussion during the business planning process next fall. We also have the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program. Just late last year we increased the Fur Revolving Fund by $600,000. We have had a great deal of success in getting trappers top dollar for fur at market and we are seeing more people get out on the land that are trapping and pursuing that activity. It has been very successful for us, and again, I look forward to the questions in the fall in the business planning process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe there is. However, it would certainly cost a great deal of money to look at providing that level of service across the Northwest Territories.

Thank you. I meant nothing by my comments. I was just trying to make a point that these are headquarters positions that we have decided to move outside of the capital to Inuvik. That’s a decision the department made and the government has made and one that we stand by. Thank you.

I know the Member and I have had this discussion before. It’s good to have it again. It certainly is something that we’re interested in and something we’re going to take into consideration in the development of the strategy and new policies as we go forward. It is important that we maximize any opportunity that we have to get people involved in the agricultural sector here in the territory. We will take that under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the Member.

That’s correct, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.