Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions, Mr. Speaker, are for the Minister of ITI and follow in line with Mr. Hawkins’ and Mr. Bromley’s statements today. Mr. Speaker, the topic of agriculture and advancing agriculture in the Northwest Territories is something that I don’t feel has been given the attention it deserves, considering its potential. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister of ITI if any work has been done by his department in identifying the economic potential of enhancing and increasing agriculture in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Mr. Chairman, I’ve been just thinking about this $86,000 budgeted for the trip to Copenhagen. Now I understand at some point in time the supplementary appropriation has to go to print, but wow, $25,000 out of $86,000 is going to be put back. That’s a big percentage off on the estimating of this trip. I know maybe at first they were going to fly business class and now they’re not and they’re taking an extra Member, but $25,000 out of $86,000 off on this and I guess what I’m wondering about is the Minister says, well, they’ll put the money back. How do they put the money back? Is he sure it just...

Well, that’s good. Then we should expect to see about half of that money from the travel come back into the budget. So we’ll look forward to that when we see what the returned amount is when they return from the trip, because I think $50,000 is probably a little overestimated on the travel piece. Thank you.

How many people will be attending on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories at the climate change conference in Copenhagen?

Sorry, Mr. Chairman. I was wondering if we could return to an item on page 15.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to know where that land is that’s been made available in the Hay River area. I’m not aware of it. But, Mr. Speaker, are there already existing programs within ITI, within the Government of the Northwest Territories, because obviously it takes a fair amount of money when you’re breaking land from raw land and the equipment and everything that’s required. Are there funds and support and interest on the part of ITI in assisting proponents who may be interested in becoming involved in this activity? Thank you.

In order to conduct agricultural activities on any scale that could go some ways towards the percentages that have been referred to, land is required and, of course, land outside of municipalities, at least in the South Slave, that would be suitable for this endeavour is land that is mostly not available for sale or for private ownership due to unsettled land claims. Does the Minister see his department having any role in identifying and perhaps brokering a deal between folks who have traditional claim to the land and those who may want to use it for a sustainable and low-impact activity such...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I have another great idea. I have been talking about renewable resources, Mr. Speaker, and I want to talk about agriculture today.

Mr. Speaker, why can’t we identify tracts of land for agriculture in the Northwest Territories? We have regressed when it come to the area of production of our own food. Mr. Speaker, not that many years ago, boats used to travel down the Mackenzie River and carry fresh fruit to the communities and that product was grown here in the Northwest Territories at many different locations, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, some of the...

Thank you. I normally wouldn’t be encouraging the government to spend more money on international travel, but since there does seem to be a $25,000 surplus, I was wondering, well, actually, Mr. Menicoche is wondering if he can come too.

---Laughter