Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the commercial fishery as it relates to Great Slave Lake. I have questions for the Minister of ITI.

In my Member’s statement I failed to mention, actually, the collaborative work done by the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee as well with the Minister of ITI on this. I want to recognize them for their understanding of this situation as well.

We are now embarking on something that will be a new process for the marketing of the fish from Great Slave Lake. During this transition phase I would like to ask the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been a long time that I stood in this House and talked about the commercial fishing industry on Great Slave Lake. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that our government, our Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment has seen fit to hold that consultation with the Fisherman’s Federation that resulted in the vote to begin the actions required to remove the Great Slave Fishery in the Northwest Territories from the purview of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, it took a long time to get consensus amongst the fishers themselves. Unfortunately, we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, has the Minister given any consideration to lifting the border or export restriction to at least as far as Alberta? Would it be possible, in this transition phase while we’re trying to establish markets further afield, would a dialogue with the Alberta government, because they don’t have the big freshwater lakes that we have here in the Northwest Territories and that is quite a large market on our doorstep, would it be possible to have any discussion with the Alberta government Minister responsible about the potential for exporting our fish at least to...

The documents I have indicate that this consultation process should be concluded by June 11th and then there is a requirement of us to repeal some legislation which makes us part of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would anticipate that the repealing of that legislation could come as early as this fall.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to recognize Marilyn Carroll in the visitor’s gallery. She’s here today to receive a reward on behalf of her late husband, John Carroll. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Carroll is also a very noted educator in Hay River in her own right, as well. I’d like to recognize her today. Also, I’d like to recognize Shirley Hancock, who was kind enough today to travel with our inductees and come over from Hay River with them. I’d like to recognize Shirley. I’d also like to recognize another constituent, Marc Miltenberger. I might be beating his brother to the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 42-16(5), Supplementary Estimates No. 1, 2010-2011 (Operations Expenditures), be now concluded and that Tabled Document 42-16(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in a formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The lowering of the commercial power rates in the communities, I can see it acting as an incentive for business. How that translates into lower prices for consumers is a piece that I don’t quite understand how the government is going to have a hand in or ensure that that happens before we get people too excited that the price of groceries is going to go down because the cost of power for the local grocery store is going to go down. How does the government see, actually, that money not just being... The business of operating with high power rates for a while and if a...

Mr. Speaker, $60 million is a fair amount of money and if we’re going to spend $60 million over three years, I’d like to ask the Minister if the capacity is available to this government to sort out how we’re going to spend those funds and actually see the results of them and not have this money lapse in some fashion. How are we doing on that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of the interim measures agreement and the unsettled claims and access to inventories, what does the government see as their role in persuading or creating agreements with First Nations that would make it financially viable for them and for the users of this product that could be developed here in the Northwest Territories? What does he see is the government’s role in that process?

Where are we at in terms of determining whether or not the inventories for the harvest of product that could be made into pellets is available and sustainable in the Northwest Territories?