Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This particular item of freight surcharge, $276,000, is for Iqaluit only. This occurs during the months of April, May and June when we have to fly the beer up to replenish the stock in Iqaluit. The cost of flying that beer up is passed on to the consumers, about $2 or $2.50 per case. That is under revenue and that is where we get the money back. By flying the liquor in we get the money back through the surcharge. There is no cost to the government, there is no subsidy.

My question still has not been answered, Mr. Chairman. Why is it applied to only one particular area and not all other regions in the north? I am sure it is costly to fly beer up to Cambridge Bay in the Kitikmeot region, equivalent as it is to Iqaluit. Why are they not being considered for a surcharge?

I will ask Mr. Quirke to respond.

Mr. Chairman, the reason it is Iqaluit is because it is the only community we actually fly our liquor up to during the whole year. The warehouse is not large enough to hold a year's supply of liquor, and particularly beer. Secondly, the shelf life of beer is about 12 months. In our Arctic communities such as Inuvik and Fort Simpson we use the road system extensively. It is an ongoing movement of the goods going back and forth. The Member mentioned Cambridge Bay as an example. We do not operate a liquor store in Cambridge Bay any more. It closed down three or four years ago. Iqaluit is unique from the point of view that it is the only place we actually fly liquor in and we pass the costs of flying that product, back to the consumers.

Mr. Chairman, I recognize this is basically a method of placing the money up front to be able to get the product to the community. However, I feel the process used is an inequitable process. I would like the Minister to review this to determine whether this should be applied to other regions. I would also like the Minister to review it to ensure that equity is in the system, that not one particular region is favoured over the other. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, I will do that.

Agreed.

---Agreed

Mr. Chairman, I was hoping to go through the revenue recoveries and transfer payments on this budget, this is on page 07-19

.

Mr. Chairman, I know it is not the practice of the committee regarding revenue items, however, I find it is critically important that people of the north recognize, and it should be on the record, the different types of licenses which are going to be increased over the next year for their revenue initiatives. If we do not discuss it on this page, then I do not know which other page allows us to do so.

I would like to ask the Minister to provide us with a listing or read into the record how he will increase business licenses by $20,000 and how he will increase lottery licenses by $75,000? There was no fee imposed before for examinations and certificates and now he is going to raise revenue of $110,000. He is anticipating an additional $50,000 for revenue for electrical permits and an additional $10,000 for gas permits, along with boiler registration and elevator permits. I find this is something the public should be aware of. If the Minister could advise us for public record it would be appreciated. Thank you.

Do you want me to go through them one at a time or do you wish me to provide the hard copy?

I would like clarification.

If the Minister were to provide the information in form of a tabled document that would be acceptable. However, if it is not in the form of a tabled document, I would suggest the Minister read it into the record. Thank you.