Mahsi, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to reply to the budget address. With all the pre-budget hype, the doom and gloom and the talk of a tough budget, I think most of us expected something quite different than what was presented in the budget address. The Minister of Finance delivered a very conservative budget address.

The address, together with the Premier's Sessional Statement, reaffirms this government's mode of continuing to plan and strategize. For example, there are many strategies mentioned, including the income security reform strategy, the renewable resource development strategy, the minerals strategy, the health strategy and the Arctic College and education strategy.

These are well and good as plans are required to develop programs, but the public would like to now see some action.

They've experienced over two years of restructuring, reorganizing, decentralizing and, in some cases, the centralizing of departments and programs. I believe the public now wants to see some stabilization and some concrete work in our economy. How can we create jobs? How can we stimulate the economy in our communities? We need to create an environment where investors can divert their money in the

north and expect security, stability and, hopefully, the ability to generate some wealth.

In many ways, the budget address tries to highlight what good things this government is doing or expects to do. I would express my appreciation of some of these good things this government is doing. For example, in Education, there has been an acceleration of the teacher education program. There has been a move toward grade extensions into the communities, and some moneys has been put aside to enhance post-secondary education. In Municipal and Community Affairs, there's been an enhancement of the recreation programs. In Economic Development and Tourism, decentralized authority and responsibility to the regions. And there's been a lot of work on the income security reform program. However, there's a need in income security reform to start some pilot projects now.

I'm aware of a recent proposal that was presented to some Ministers to start construction and extension of the Mackenzie Highway. I think that warrants a good look, and maybe some energies and money put into a program of this sort.

On the other hand, Madam Speaker, there are many areas which need focus and direction and these did not get mentioned in the budget address. For example, we have, in this House in the last several years, talked a lot about the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services. We made many recommendations in the recent report of the Special Committee on Health and Social Services, and I believe these need to be addressed and looked at.

In Education, the need to address the quality of education and work on some stay-in-school programs. The need to establish education as this government's number one priority.

We also need to develop our human resources based in the north, and we need to enhance the Arctic College programs.

In any budget you have two sides to an income statement, the expenditure side which is what government does very well, then the revenue side. I was very disappointed to notice no new initiatives on the revenue side of this budget. Some of us expected the Minister to announce new revenue generation ideas, not more personal taxes which I believe people in the north appreciated because no new tax increases were announced. But, I'm sure we could have withstood some increases in our consumption or win taxes. Maybe take the freight subsidies off booze. Maybe generate new gambling revenues by establishing new and regulated gambling regimes. And we have to increase our efforts in the enhancement of mineral and oil and gas exploration development. Again, we need a proper and stable environment so investors would look at putting their money into the north.

We also need to accelerate the settlement of land claims and self-government negotiations. And we need to ensure that the implementation of existing claims proceed as was negotiated.

Madam Speaker, in the section on the economic development I was very disappointed in the highlights. For example, in the Inuvik region the big highlight was the establishment of an economic development committee in Fort Norman. This may be a big event in Fort Norman, but I'm not sure what economic benefit or impact this will have on the region, not in the short-term anyway. Surely there must have been other events of note in the Inuvik region.

This government is currently negotiating with the feds on a new formula financing agreement. I wish the Minister and his staff well in these negotiations. I've offered, through this House, and I'll offer again, the assistance of some advisors who are very experienced in negotiating with federal officials. There are many negotiators who have worked on land claims who can probably assist the Minister and staff in the financial negotiations. These people have done package deals before, and probably can provide you with some good advice -- and I understand that their rates are very reasonable.

I now wish to comment on the federal/territorial fiscal arrangements which the Minister mentioned in his budget address. There does not seem to be an overall concrete government strategy on how to resolve some of these issues. Each item seems to be a major issue in itself. The Standing Committee on Finance has recommended that a package approach be negotiated, and I support these recommendations.

I also fully support this government's recent announcement by the Minister of Energy, Mines and Renewable Resources to start negotiating the oil and gas and mineral accords. However, I must caution the Minister to ensure that he keeps the aboriginal organizations fully informed and fully involved in these negotiations. The groups with land claim settlements have a stake in these negotiations as they have negotiated some royalty arrangements with both the federal and territorial governments.

In the area of the health billings, the Minister announced that he has talked to the federal Ministers of Finance and Indian Affairs and Northern Development and they have agreed to explore the possibility of reaching a settlement. This doesn't give me much comfort as this dispute has been dragging on for many years. It seems like another case of the big brother syndrome -- back off, be good and we'll continue to keep this issue on the back burner. Madam Speaker, to me that's not good enough.

I would like to hear the Minister of Finance say, yes, we will include this item in our overall package and this is how we'll deal with it. With a push for more devolution, I don't want to see us get into similar financial problems as we've experienced in Health, forest fire fighting and social housing.

In terms of social housing, again, here's another instance where northerners, I think, have been sold down the river. Obviously, the ongoing meetings and the ongoing talks with federal Ministers have produced no results. In the budget address, Minister Pollard stated, and I quote, "We will continue to pursue the issue of social housing vigorously, and the federal government has to recognize it's responsibilities and it must reinstate the funding for social housing."

Madam Speaker, these are nice words, but meaningless. The more we talk to the feds, it seems the more cuts are imposed. We have to take some drastic action. Let's all go to Ottawa, let's demonstrate, let's have sit-ins, let's move into the

Minister's office. We have to let them know we're serious. Nice talk and nice words don't seem to be good enough.

As for the national infrastructure program, it seems that with our intensive lobbying by our Premier and by the Minister of Finance, we were able to get an additional $1.3 million over and above the $4 million. This is well and good, but I wonder how many political favours were used up in this deal. I believe it would have been more appropriate to include this item in an overall package, present this to the feds and say, let's make a deal. Here are all the components which we wish to talk about and have financed.

We cannot continue on a piecemeal, project-by-project basis, where everything becomes a crisis and no one wins. We need to present a package deal where the Northwest Territories wins, the federal government wins and, ultimately, our residents of the north win. This is the goal of successful negotiating, everybody wins.

Once again, Madam Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity. Qujannamiik. Mahsi cho.