Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that is a noble gesture always, you know, when you say, "Look, we are going to lead by example" and that is the way it should be done. But what the government did when it tabled all these proposed cuts, was to omit, omit to indicate how much money was being saved. That was left to somebody else, I believe, to figure out exactly what the savings would be. I would be very interested to know exactly how much money is going to be saved as a result of passing this motion. Because if it is the intent of the motion to show, by example, how much money this group of people here is prepared to contribute, you know, to the deficit, then I think that it would help the public to understand how much we are hurting ourselves, how much injury, if you like, is being done to each individual Member by this huge contribution we are making toward reducing the deficit. I would like to have that kind of figure. I mean, we would have got that if it was down to the standing committee on finance. That kind of information would have been revealed, if it had gone to that appropriate committee, because it is not just a matter of spending more money, that is not the issue, it is a financial issue and it would be very, very good if we were, not only prepared to indicate how much more money we want to spend, but also how much less money we are prepared to spend, and the public should know that. It has a right to know it, and it would only happen if this bill went to the standing committee on finance. You got the analysis to look at, figure out exactly how much it is going to be worth and it would be a great contribution, I think, to the public knowledge of how committed this government is towards restraint. Thank you.
Brian Lewis on Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on December 16th, 1991. See this statement in context.
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
December 15th, 1991
Page 133
Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre
See context to find out what was said next.