Natural Resources Committee on June 12th, 2012

[Hughie Graham]

I'll agree. We have the same challenges in the north, especially with the cost of power in the Northwest Territories. We're not in the position of having a territory-wide grid so that we can take advantage of hydro projects like the Taltson. Any ability to lower the cost of living is certainly great for attracting more workers and people to the north.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We go now to Monsieur Galipeau, for up to five minutes.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Ms. Babcock.

Mr. Graham, I bet it doesn't happen often that you have to get up early like this to deal with eastern standard time.

I don't know very much about your territories. I've been to both your capital cities, but I'm particularly interested in aboriginals.

I found an interesting statistic from the Northwest Territories. The 2006 census says that your population was 41,464. In 2011, it was 41, 462. There are two people missing here somewhere.

Half or a little bit less than half the population is aboriginal. What's been the experience in terms of employment and partnerships between first nations and industry?

[Hughie Graham]

In the Northwest Territories, it has been fantastic. Through the impact and benefit agreements established through the creation of the three diamond mines just northeast of Yellowknife, there is a commitment to aboriginal hiring. When you hire aboriginals, you have to train them. Groups such as the Mine Training Society in the Northwest Territories have been fantastic. They are establishing skills and training for aboriginals to take part in employment that's happening on their traditional lands.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much, sir.

Ms. Babcock, I looked up Yukon, too. There are 33,000 people. Twenty-five per cent are aboriginal.

How are the partnerships between the first nations and industry working there?

[Sandy Babcock]

Particularly in the resource development area they are very strong. I want to preface that by saying that the Yukon is more of an inclusive society. For instance, we don't break down first nation-owned or non-first nation-owned business in our membership. We're all business. We're all part of the community and we all contribute and benefit from it.

So, it's a little difficult for me to talk about that because it is more of an integrated and inclusive society in the Yukon.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Chair, would you stop the clock for a minute.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Ms. Babcock, for some reason your sound has become garbled, and so we can't understand you. We're going to continue questioning Mr. Graham until we get the sound fixed.

Go ahead, Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Ms. Babcock, I hope we can come back to your answer, but we couldn't hear it.

Mr. Graham, we hear suggestions from some parties across the way about an increase in corporate taxes. What would an increase in the corporate tax rate mean to investment in the north?

[Hughie Graham]

It's up to industry to create jobs. If you increase corporate taxes you then give industry a reason not to exist.

By allowing industry to create more jobs to increase the tax base, I think you would recapture many more dollars than you would by a corporate tax increase.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I've heard from both you and Ms. Babcock about the importance of small business. What has been the impact of the small business tax credit that this government has offered?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Graham.

[Hughie Graham]

The small business tax credit has certainly helped industry to be able to provide more jobs, to hire, to train, to improve its workforce. Certainly any kind of tax credit to small business, when you're talking about dollars and cents and pennies and nickels, is a big deal.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Ms. Babcock, we think we have your sound fixed. Go ahead.

[Sandy Babcock]

I would certainly agree with Mr. Graham that any kind of—

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

No. I'm sorry, your mike or the sound is still garbled. We'll try again to fix it. In the meantime we'll continue the questioning of Mr. Graham.

Go ahead, Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I'm done for questioning. I'm really anxious for the answers though.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Okay.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We go now to—

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Can we get the answers when the sound is fixed?

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

We'll see how we can handle that when it gets fixed.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you, sir.

[The Chair, Conservative, Leon Benoit]

Mr. Anderson.

[Hughie Graham]

I would just comment that this is a great indication of why we need redundancy in broadband capability in the north.