The point I tried to make yesterday in my response to the budget is that the federal government is looking at us the way they look at other jurisdictions, from a fairly narrow perspective, and all they see is that we are very dependent on the federal government and we receive, comparatively, a good chunk in transfer payments but we still maintain relatively low taxes. They don't see the tax burden, which was the argument that we made a thousand times. Mr. Nielsen can do the tax burden argument backwards and forwards in seven languages. They also don't see that in the long term, unless you do something that will improve our economy, we will progressively get more dependent on the federal government. I wonder if the Minister could share with us any new approaches that he is going to bring to bear on the federal government on this issue. We used the best experts in the country but federal Finance was adamant that we had to bring our level of taxation up to a provincial standard. I wonder if the Minister could share with us any new approaches in this area, if you are not giving away any negotiation secrets.
Michael Ballantyne on Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
In the Legislative Assembly on February 23rd, 1994. See this statement in context.
Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 22nd, 1994
Page 324
Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North
See context to find out what was said next.