Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, August 22, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - In a surprising move, the territorial government announced it would be sending the premier and other representatives on a trade and tourism mission to China in September.

The decision came as a surprise to regular members of the legislative assembly.

"Normally committee is given ample notice, detail and information on the nature of these kinds of fairly high profile (visits)," said Great Slave MLA Bill Braden during committee of the whole, Monday.

The move came to light during the consideration of a Supplementary Acquisition Act - the legislative assembly's spending bills - where the government asked for $100,000 for the trip, added to an additional $100,000 already budgeted.

Braden and other members asked that more information be provided on the trip - who was attending and why - before approving the amount.

Brendan Bell, minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, took responsibility for the lack of information, but said the trip would be vital to the NWT economy.

He pointed at declining Japanese Aurora tourism as an indication the government needed to look in other areas.

"We are looking for a logical market to diversify to," he said. "All evidence points to China and its 1.3 billion people."

"We know that this winter, it is no secret, is going to be very difficult for our aurora tourism industry."

He added the trip would also be beneficial for heavy industry, eco-tourism and other economic sectors, and represented years of work by his department.

"I'd be happy to sit down with committee members and talk about the trip program that we've built."

Though Braden said he supported the idea, he said he didn't agree with the timing, coming on the cusp of an outgoing government and premier.

"As desirable a mission as this is, doesn't it make more sense to take this good planning, defer it and allow the senior people from the next assembly to take it on?" he asked.

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen was also unhappy information was not supplied to regular members, information she said she asked for the previous week.

"Why couldn't we have had it in the last three days if we could have them in a half-an-hour?"

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay said his concern was that the government would be sending an outgoing premier on the mission, and that many other members could not attend due to an ongoing election.

He recommended saving the trip for the 16th assembly, saying the work of ITI on the mission would not go to waste. Braden tabled a motion to have the $100,000 deleted from the bill, which gained support from several regular members.

"They're not playing nice in the sandbox and we're not compelled to agree," Braden said after session.

"It's a consensus government."

Twin Lakes MLA Robert McLeod said he couldn't side with the legislation, given the information he had been provided.

"To come before us and say you need $100,000 for a trade mission to China without providing details isn't good enough for me."

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins was one of the regular members who voted against the motion.

"It will help support the investment we have here on the ground," he said of the trip during the session. "I think (the trip) has merit and it's a mistake to say no."

The motion was defeated, and the bill was passed.