Mr. Chairman, there are a number of reasons why we would want to subsidize water. Good clean water is necessary for health, cooking, washing, et cetera. In my own community, until very recently, you could get all the water you wanted for $5 a month. That was one of the things that was happening in Hay River. In other parts of the Northwest Territories, as those places came along, there were other programs that were put on to help people get water. There was also the pressure upon the government to make it feasible for people to live in their own houses and have water in those houses.

There were a number of reasons and it grew, over time, until it was a hodge-podge of different things across the Northwest Territories. I think the government tried to boil it down and make it more standard. Of course, when you are looking at making it more standard, it is very difficult to look at all the communities in the Northwest Territories and then realize that they all have a different economic rate for hauling water. It may have to come a certain distance. It may have to be treated differently. It may be by pipe or it might be by truck. There are all kinds of other factors that have to be taken into consideration.

Right now, there are a number of people who say water is a commodity that we have every right to have and we are surrounded by it in many instances. We should get it to our door at a relatively low price. For all those reasons, the government is trying to assist people in having good water in their residences. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you for that explanation. I know it has certainly been appreciated by our community to have the funding for our new water treatment plant so that we can get quality water. But there are areas in our community that can't access the piped water through the water subsidy program because of water delivery. I appreciate all the support the Minister is addressing with his department, but I do want to state for the record, Mr. Chairman, that it appears when this policy was developed -- I don't know if it was an oversight -- the intent of the program appeared to leave out Fort Smith with

regard to the outlying service areas. I don't think that was the intent of the policy. I certainly hope that some type of resolution can come to fruition in the near future to address this. I just wanted to make that comment because it has been a concern. I feel fairly confident that the new Minister will certainly make every effort to address this particular concern.

Mr. Chairman, I would ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs if he could respond to that specific issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I realize that there are satellite communities and some may be designated as special service areas. In the case of Fort Smith, there are a few areas that aren't on the piped service. They currently receive trucked service. There is some difficulty with some funding in addressing the service to the one area. I know the department has undertaken discussions with the town of Fort Smith in trying to find a suitable solution, so that all parties are happy. I was speaking to the Member earlier on the matter and I think we are going to take a look at it again and see if we could come to some kind of an accommodation that would be suitable to everybody. Thank you.

I have no further comment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that response.

Question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my question was answered by the Minister when the honourable Member for Nahendeh posed the same question that I was trying to get clarified.

I'll speak to the motion. Water is essential and it doesn't matter where you are, either in the north or all over. Mr. Chairman, when I look at TV and see people from other countries who are practically dying on the street because of no water, that causes me some concern. If I had a million dollars, Mr. Chairman, and I was thirsty -- there was no water around me -- I would spend that million dollars for a glass of water, any day, any time. I think this is a good motion. I think people living in the small communities, people living in Yellowknife, Fort Smith and all over deserve to have water delivered to their homes at minimal costs, whatever that means, subsidized. So I will support the motion. Thank you.

One more final question here. This is quite a big increase to the department's main estimates of 1994-95 and quite a high percentage increase in this budget. Has the department got a good handle on this whole program now so that we won't see huge increases like that in the future? Thank you.

I hope so, Mr. Chairman, but I would let the Minister answer for himself. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we've recognized the deficiency of this year and it had to do with what the Minister of Finance alluded earlier, to the late implementation of the changes to the water/sewer subsidy program. We've made allowances as he had indicated, as well, in the 1995-96 main estimates and we're hoping that that will be sufficient. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, could I ask what is allowed in the 1995-96 main estimates in this area?

Mr. Chairman, there is $7.211 million for water/sewer subsidy program for hamlets and there's also the subsidy for tax-based municipalities at $2.548 million. So it's $9.759 million in total in the book this year. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.