The NWT Construction Association not surprisingly welcomed the more than one-quarter billion dollars that NWT Finance Minister Michael Miltenbrger has acquired for infrastructure spending by leveraging federal funds - but not just for the obvious self-interested reasons.

Of course NWT contractors were delighted with the business prospects implicit in the $250-million-plus allocated in the 2009-10 territorial budget for road and air transport, schools, hospitals, housing and energy retrofits. And many no doubt also appreciated the more than $500,000 promised for apprenticeship and other trades training.

But all territorial businesses and residents should applaud this choice of economic stimulus for several reasons.

Unlike company bailouts, which effectively rob successful taxpaying Peters to pay failing corporate Pauls, spending on infrastructure and skills development are real investments that will yield positive returns for our tax dollars in terms of future productivity, competitiveness and hence prosperity.

Also unlike bailouts, repairing our existing infrastructure and building much-needed new facilities are things we will have to do eventually, anyway, and they will serve the future taxpayers who will be saddled with repaying the debt incurred to do the work now.

What's more, construction projects are one of the quickest ways to put people to work, especially up here, where plans for many roads, bridges, airport runways have long since been put in place.

As well, construction tends to generate more employment and economic growth than many alternatives. According to the economic research firm Informatica, for example, investment in infrastructure creates twice as many jobs and has 60 per cent greater positive impact on gross domestic product than, say, personal income tax cuts.

In other words, construction spinoffs are relatively good for all NWT businesses and the entire economy.

Finally, since much of the infrastructure spending slated for the NWT this year is targeted at civil work - roads, bridges, runways, etc. -- they are especially well suited to our workforce because we have an abundance of qualified heavy equipment operators, particularly among aboriginal workers.