Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have already noted the importance of the Government of the Northwest Territories' capital budget to the economy of the N.W.T., particularly the economy of the smaller communities. The capital budget represents not just the means of obtaining needed infrastructure and facilities, it also represents a major tool for furthering training and economic development.
Our decisions, as M.L.A.s and Ministers, with respect to the capital plan, have a major impact on employment levels and business prosperity in the N.W.T.
Since our capital program is so important to so many people for so many reasons, we must exercise great care to ensure that our capital programs provide a stable base that can be relied upon by both business and labour. This is not to say that our capital program alone can guarantee economic prosperity for all, but it is incumbent on our government to ensure that capital spending levels, at the territorial and the community level, do not fluctuate widely each year. A boom and bust approach to capital planning must be avoided.
Over the years, we have been successful in maintaining a relatively stable level of total capital spending. Our capital spending has grown in step with inflation with the addition of responsibilities transferred from the federal government. Even this fiscal year, in the face of a major deficit challenge, we have been able to maintain our capital spending levels very close to those of previous years.
Mr. Speaker, more worrisome for us than the level of total capital spending across the territories has been the annual level of capital activity in each community. Local training and employment initiatives needs a stable level of local capital spending to be successful. In an effort to provide this stability the government has taken two significant steps.
The first step has been to provide three year capital spending targets to each government department. Previously, departments did not know how much money they would be provided for from year to year. This made planning and commitment to specific projects difficult. As a result, the capital plan changed significantly each year and communities could not count on projects proceeding. With the introduction of three year targets, departments can plan with more certainty and can make multi-year commitments to communities.
The second step taken to provide a stable level of capital activity in each community builds on the ability of departments to make multi-year commitments. Government and communities can now sit down and work out a multi-year capital training and employment plan for the community. This approach may require that communities agree to wait a little longer to get a particular facility or to take a little longer to build a facility. In the end, the community can be assured it will be received, it will receive what it is entitled to while reaping maximum training and employment benefits.
Mr. Speaker, the 1993-94 Capital Estimates provide for an overall capital expenditure level of approximately $176 million. The details of these estimates are ready for the review of the Legislative Assembly.
However, Mr. Speaker, there is a gap in the Capital Estimates documents I will be tabling. This gap is in the area of housing and I would ask the Members of the Legislative Assembly to bear with us in this regard. I do not think it is any secret that the Minister has been working very hard, along with his staff, to close up the $22 million gap that the federal government has caused in our funding for housing in the Northwest Territories. It is coming right down to the wire and the Minister is still working in that area.
I would also like to thank the Standing Committee on Finance for allowing us to go ahead with the budget and, as yet, they have not received the housing allocations. I believe they will be receiving them tonight, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, within the next day or so, the Minister responsible for the N.W.T. Housing Corporation will be making a statement and tabling the detailed information on the proposed capital housing programs and allocations for 1993-94. Once he has the opportunity to do this, the Capital Estimates detail will be complete.
Mr. Speaker, I have made repeated references to training, to hiring people from the north, to doing business with northern contractors and I repeat myself on purpose, Mr. Speaker. We have to emphasize to the people of the Northwest Territories, the northern contractors and, most importantly, to our departments that we are committed to the principle of doing business in the Northwest Territories. This principle has the total support of Cabinet and I believe it has the support of this House, Mr. Speaker. If it is government money we are spending, then we want the maximum benefits to accrue to northerners.
Mr. Speaker, this budget will form part of our budget for 1993-94. It is only, as I say, a part of it. We will still be coming to the House in the late winter with a balanced budget, Mr. Speaker, in case there are any questions about that.
I would like to thank the Ministers and the departments because we have shortened the time frame by four months and they have had to scramble to get their budgets together. I want to thank my people; Lew Voytilla and the F.M.S. for putting the budget together and, most of all, the Standing Committee on Finance, without whose cooperation we would have not have achieved this early date to review the Capital Estimates.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for their time and, at the appropriate time, which will probably be tomorrow, I will submit the 1993-94 Capital Estimates to this Legislative Assembly for its consideration. Thank you.