Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me, first of all, assure my honourable colleague the staff housing will be sold, it will be sold on the new revised schedule by the end of the year. I am optimistic that we will meet our targets in terms of the revenue that is required in that particular area. with respect to the overall fiscal position of the government, I think, as I said, we are going to meet our targets, if not exceed them. It is my understanding tomorrow that I will be meeting with caucus at 2:00. We will give a full fiscal update at that time and hopefully demonstrate and reassure my colleague that we are on track and in fact maybe in slightly better shape than we had projected at this time. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral Question, Supplementary, Mr. Henry.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Finance Minister's optimism. I sincerely hope it comes true. My question is, how much was anticipated for the sale of staff housing, and as well get the second question in, which year are you talking about, is it the end of this calendar year, or the government's fiscal year, when you anticipate having the houses sold. Thank you.

Thank you. Two questions, Mr. Todd.

Return to Supplementary Question 530- 13(3): Changes to Projected 1996-97 Deficit

In this job you have to be optimistic, otherwise it would wear you down. I am sure that other Finance Ministers feel the same way. Let me say that our projected revenues were in the range of $28 to $30 million, in terms of what we anticipate from the sale of staff housing. That the sale of staff housing was a two process, that we were looking for $13 million this year, and $17 million, next year. I believe we are on target. I am optimistic, as I said, that we will sell the staff housing, one way or the other, so I think the long and the short of it is, Mr. Speaker, is that yes, it is $30 million that we were anticipating. It was expected that we would get the revenues over a two year period. We are confident that we can get it and we are also confident that we meet the targets that we collectively set in the Deficit Administration Strategy. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Evaloarjuk:

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance. Non-Aboriginal teachers who are working up North will probably continue to come up here to teach. Usually, teachers come up to the communities for 2 or 3 year terms, not long enough to make it financially sound to purchase the house many of them are currently living in. With the government housing sales currently going on, and teachers are not interested in buying the housing they live in, how does the government plan to ensure they continue to have professional teachers in the communities, when housing is no longer available? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am confident that the sales program we have got is the best sales program in Canada, never mind North America. What other jurisdiction says to its employees--buy this house, at a significant discount. The mortgage payments will be less than your rent, and at the same time, it says, if you cannot sell it, we will buy it back when you leave. So I am fairly confident, Mr. Speaker, that we will be able to, with some reassuring, and with the co-operation of the teachers and some of its Executive and its Association, that we will be able to convince the majority of teachers that this is a good deal for them, as it has been for other employees. And that, at the end of the day, we will have a strategy, and do have a strategy in place, to ensure that adequate housing will be available. If some teachers and others choose to leave, then we will just have to take the appropriate measures to recruit new ones that like the new conditions that exist in the recruitment policies.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

The issue that my honourable colleague is alluding to is the furnishing fiscal allocation that is, under policy of this government, provided to Ministers who are asked to move to Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Krutko.

Again, I must remind the Members that when you ask a question, you do a preamble, and then you ask the question. In this case, you did ask the first question, but all this relates to the second question. I cannot allow it, because there is no connection. It is a new question. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the media over the last few weeks, and in the news, we have heard about the Canada Cost-Shared Infrastructure Program between the federal government and the provinces and the territories. Can the Premier update this House on the Infrastructure Program as it relates to the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the July, I think, or August meeting in Jasper, the Premiers of this country all supported a new Infrastructure Program. What we have done, we have instructed our Ministers of Finance to meet. They have had one meeting already, and they discussed...I believe they are going to meet again fairly soon...to discuss that new Infrastructure Program. But our government fully supports the new Infrastructure initiative, if there will be one, by the federal government. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

That is indeed good news, Mr. Speaker, because the Infrastructure Program does provide much-needed jobs for our communities. Can the Minister let me know, and the House, what the cost-shared relationship on the Infrastructure Program has been in the past, and what the feeling is, out of their meetings in Jasper, Alberta, what it would be in the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the past, the Infrastructure Program was 30 percent from the municipalities, 30 from the territorial government and the provincial governments, 30 percent approximately from the federal government. But we managed, because of the uniqueness of the Northwest Territories and our municipalities unable to come up with their percentage, we got a 50/50 cost-shared from the federal government. The federal government paid 50 percent, and we as a government paid 50 percent. So if there is going to be a new Infrastructure Program, then we would be looking for that same type of recognition of our uniqueness in the Northwest Territories. So we would still have to have the Minister of Finance try to find that money within the existing dollars that we have, because there is no new money to put our portion up, as well. So that would have to happen. And there is also talk about the private sector being able to be involved this time around. Before, they were not. So that the private sector could put some money into that, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Program