Thank you, Mr. Speaker, that was not my intention, to demonstrate any type of motive. My question is to the Minister of Financial Management Board Secretariat. Could he provide in writing and to this Member exactly how many houses have bought back by this government for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1996, as requested?

The Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, I always try to qualify my comments when I am talking about numbers because I have so many of them in my head. So I am sure that

those who have, Mr. Picco may be correct, but I would be only too happy to provide in writing to him the number of houses that we have sold due to the purchase buy back from employees in the fiscal or calendar year, this previous calendar year. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Are there any further Oral questions?

Written Questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad this gives me an opportunity to return to this written question, asked by Mr. Picco, who else, on October 3 regarding the ultimate removal assistance guidelines. I hope you are listening.

The Honourable Member from Iqaluit asked 3 questions relating to the new ultimate removal assistance provisions.

1. Yes, employees now arrange their own moves, submit receipts to their department and then are reimbursed for all eligible expenses for the lesser of the actual cost of the move or the cap that was negotiated with the Union of Northern Workers for each community.

2. The introduction of the cap has substantially reduced the government's future liability for this benefit. The government also expects to realize savings due to the reduced administration requirements.

The original mandate for the government's negotiating committee was to eliminate this benefit. The contract that was ratified by the members of the Union of Northern Workers represented a substantial concession to this original position. Staff are interpreting this provision as it was intended. Thank you.

Thank you. Returns to Written questions.

Replies to opening address

Petitions

Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to provide the Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on Looking to the Future: the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada on the Election of the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of the NWT 1995.

The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer was tabled in the Legislative Assembly in May 1996. In October 1996, the Standing Committee on Government Operations reviewed the report with public hearings.

The Committee would like to thank Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, and David Hamilton, Clerk of the Assembly, for appearing before us to discuss the recommendations in the report.

The Chief Electoral Officer made a number of recommendations for change to the current elections system. In many cases, similar recommendations were also made in his previous report in 1991, for instance, but were not acted on by the previous Assembly. As a result of recent history, members of the Standing Committee see a clear need to implement these recommendations to avoid some of the significant difficulties which have arisen out of the 1995 election, particularly in the areas of complaints and enforcement and proxy voting.

Mr. Speaker, that concludes my introductory comments on this Report. The Report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations on Looking to the Future:the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada on the Election of the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of the NWT 1995, and I would therefore move that it be received and moved into Committee of the Whole for discussion.

Seconded by the Member for Thebacha. The Motion is in order. To the Motion. The Question has been called. All those in favour. All those opposed. The Motion is carried. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also seek unanimous consent to waive rule 93 (4) and have this Report considered in Committee of the Whole today.

Thank you. The Member is seeking unanimous consent to waive role 93 (4). Are there any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Erasmus, you have got unanimous consent.

Reports of Standing and Special Committees. Mr. Enuaraq.

(In translation--Thank you, Mr. Speaker). In October 1996, The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment announced changes to the Seniors Fossil Fuel Subsidy. These changes, which set a threshold for eligibility, have a dramatic effect on some seniors living in the Northwest Territories.

During the business plan/ budget reviews for 1996/97, Members were aware that there might be potential changes to the subsidy. Members were in favour of reducing the subsidy for those who could truly afford to pay. However, the program changes announced by the Minister were not what was expected. As Members argued in the House, there were many factors which needed to be considered in setting the thresholds for the Subsidy, not the least of which was the differences in the cost of living across the Northwest Territories.

As a result of considerable discussion in the House on the impact of recent changes to the wood/fuel subsidy, the concerns were referred to the Standing Committee on Social Programs by way of motion.

The Standing Committee was aware of the short time available to address the issue for 1996/97. We reviewed this matter as quickly as possible.

In order to address this issue in a timely way, we wrote to the Minister proposing a two part solution. We also indicated to the Minister we hoped he would provide an answer on this proposal by today.

During the discussions in the House, the Minister indicated he did not have the funds to modify the program. We offered two suggestions for finding this money. First, we suggested that the Minister look within the income support program. The Minister had indicated that those seniors who need additional support for fuel costs could go to the income support program for assistance. If the dollars are available to these seniors within the current allocation for income support, it should be a simple matter of moving these income support dollars over to the fuel subsidy program where seniors could access them without the stigma of using income support. It the Minister is not able to find the full amount this way, we suggested he also consider approaching Cabinet to obtain funding from lapsed capital.

For the long term, the Standing Committee believes it is clear there is considerable support for finding a way to keep the program. In our letter to the Minister we asked him to bring a proposal for a revised fuel subsidy to the Committee as part of the review of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's Business Plan next week. This proposal should address the concerns raised by Members and the public over the past few weeks including:

-the relative subsidy necessary for single occupants versus households with 2 or more residents;

-the issue of homeowners needs versus those who rent;

- encouraging the independence of seniors;

- ensuring the subsidy goes to those who need it; and

-ensuring seniors are living above the poverty line.

We also requested that the Minister ensure the program proposal is discussed with the NWT Seniors' Society.

We have not yet had a definite answer from the Minister but we hope he will respond shortly on our proposals. The Standing Committee on Social Programs will be following up further on this issue during the review of the 1997/98 business plans next week.

Mr. Speaker, I move that this Report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs be received and adopted.

Thank you. Seconded by...

Question is being called. All those in favour. All those opposed. Motion is carried.

Reports of Standing and Special Committees.

Reports on the committee on the review of bills

Tabling of Documents. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a copy of Treaty No. 8, Tabled Document No. 116-13(3), which was made on June 21st, 1899. The document includes all the adhesions and reports made in support of the original treaty. Mr. Speaker, I wish to draw Members' attention to page six of the document, and the assurances given by the Crown that the treaty,"would not lead to any forced interference with their mode of life, and that it did not open the way to the imposition of any tax". Thank you.

Tabling of documents. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table an article produced by Mandate West, The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, Tabled Document 118-13(3).

Recently the Alberta government introduced the Business Financial Assistance Limitations Act, which supports the elimination of all subsidies and financial support to the private sector. The ultimate purpose of this Act is to eliminate taxpayers funding for private sector programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.