Small business and the economy are the hot topics for the four of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 five federal-election candidates in a special debate.

The Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce and SA国际影视传媒 are set to co-host the event which will be broadcast by SA国际影视传媒 on Facebook Live starting at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Sept. 9.

The candidates will debate issues concerning small businesses and the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 economy.

Four out of the five candidates have confirmed their participation: Liberal MP Michael McLeod; Kelvin Kochilea, NDP; Roland Laufer, Green Party; and independent Jane Groewegen.

The ConservativeSA国际影视传媒檚 as-yet absent parachute candidate, Lea Mollison, will not attend.

The ChamberSA国际影视传媒檚 executive director, Ren茅e Comeau, says theySA国际影视传媒檙e hosting the special debate because the federal government needs to focus on the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 unique economic circumstances.

She says NWT Chamber members have the same concerns they did during the last federal election.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are seeing identical questions from 2019 thus meaning no real time has been spent addressing the short coming that the NWT is facing,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Sliding GDP

These issues include the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 declining GDP SA国际影视传媒� largely due to slowing mining operations SA国际影视传媒� and transitioning to a low-carbon economy; neither of which are currently addressed at the federal level.

SA国际影视传媒淲e can no longer use the excuse of remoteness as our neighbours on either side, Yukon and Nunavut, are out-pacing us,SA国际影视传媒� Comeau said.

She says our Northern neighboursSA国际影视传媒� settled land claims, proper infrastructure and private-sector support are some of the biggest the reasons behind their relative economic successes.

SA国际影视传媒淭he federal government needs to starting viewing our infrastructure asks as country-building, not payback,SA国际影视传媒� Comeau said.

and tune in at 7 p.m. on Sept. 7 for the debate.