Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have to take a serious look at how we are spending our money. Even with a looming deficit of $100 million, I think our government is too heavy. The bureaucracy is too thick. Our people have to jump too many hurdles to get everything from the government. We have to streamline the government and make better use of our money. Maybe there is enough money in that budget to supply the proper services to people. We don't necessarily have to cut the services at the community level. It means we have to spend our money better. We have to get more bang for our dollar. We have to ensure that when the dollar comes from the top, it doesn't end up at 55 cents by the time it gets to the community, who no longer can afford to spend 45 cents on the dollar to administer programs. We have to take a serious look, in the context of the big picture, at our own wages and benefits, as well as everyone's wages and benefits. We have to sit down as Members of this Assembly, set up a strategy, set out our goals and then we have to go out and do the job. That is my approach. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger followed by Mr. Henry. Again, I would like to remind the Members that you don't have to ask all of your four questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, for one, am not in favour of balancing the budget on the backs of the poor. I have proven that in the past four years as a Member of this Assembly. If Members are interested, the previous government cut $50 million a year for three years in a row. I, as Minister responsible for the Department of Public Works, cut well over 100 person years out of my budget. I don't think it affected the people at the community level. It did affect the administration, but the job is still getting done, so it didn't have much of an effect on them either. It did save us a lot of dollars. I believe that is the way to go. We have to streamline government. We have to change the way we work. We can't balance the budget on the backs of the poor. We need a leaner government, Mr. Chairman, but not a meaner government. Thank you.

Thank you. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. Your second question, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Like I said in my speech, I believe that constitutional development is something that has to happen and we have to proceed with it in a timely manner. We have to set goals that we can meet and goals that we can achieve so that people in the Northwest Territories, especially in the Western Arctic, can see us achieve those goals. I use the example of naming the Western Territory by April 1, 1996. That, to me, sounds like a reasonable goal to achieve. But we also have to ensure that our aboriginal self- government talks are going along fine, our aboriginal self- government talks are going ahead with the federal government. We have to work with our aboriginal people in partnership to ensure that that process happens at the same time the constitutional process happens and that one doesn't move ahead. The constitutional process doesn't move ahead of the aboriginal self-government process or else it will never work. That's the key and those are the challenges we have.

What I've been hearing in the last week about everybody willing to work together, I think we have a real good chance of making it work. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Henry, followed by Mr. Steen. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My first question will be directed to both candidates seeking the position of Premier. Later on today and possibly tomorrow, individuals will be putting their name forward as Cabinet Ministers. What I would like to know from each of the candidates for our Premier, in turn, would be what do you expect from your Cabinet Ministers.

Thank you. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, expect Cabinet Ministers to work hard, work together as a team and to ensure that they work on behalf of the people in the Northwest Territories in a fair manner; that's very key. And to have respect for each other and to support each other, that's also very important. But once we set the direction for the new government -- and all 24 of us are going to do that -- then it's up to Cabinet to move ahead and make sure that direction is carried out. So I'm going to expect Cabinet Ministers to make sure that they stay on top of their departments and portfolios that they have, and that they push and make sure things get done in a proper time frame, and that the job gets done; that's very key. You have to be able to be forceful with the civil service, and you have to ensure that once the Legislative Assembly has made a decision and once Cabinet has made a decision, then you go out and do the job. Don't come back with a bunch of excuses for why it can't be done, just go out and do it. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My second question again is directed to both candidates seeking the position of Premier. I would like to know from them under what circumstances would you demand the resignation of a Minister.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If a Minister is charged and found guilty of some offence, I will expect his resignation immediately. If a Minister does not act according to our conduct guidelines and if a Minister doesn't show up for work, the Minister has to be held accountable. You have to show up for work every day. You have to pull your weight. It will never work unless we all pull our equal weight. So Ministers have to produce and Ministers have to be committed to the job. If a Member expects to get in as a Minister and come to work three or four hours a day, good bye. Give me someone else, it's a simple as that. Thank you.