Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if I could get further clarification, so I could respond to my colleague.

Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is $5,400 a year, divided by 26 payments is $208 every two weeks. If we are not going to be giving our employees the housing allowance -- that means that is $208 less on their pay cheques or their gross income -are we going to be deducting that without giving them a northern allowance come April 1st?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are attempting to roll the housing allowance into the base salary, take the 6.25 per cent from it, take the northern allowance and the VTA, roll it into a cost-of-living allowance and then put it back into the wage package. So there isn't a $200 per pay cheque deduction taken from the employee.

Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has indicated that they aren't going to implement the northern allowance for these employees until negotiations are over. Now he is telling me that he is going to implement it. He can't have it both ways. He is either going to implement it or he is going to wait until negotiations are over...

Mr. Todd.

Perhaps my honourable colleague could clarify who we are talking about; unionized employees, nonunionized employees or the NWT Teachers' Association. Once I get that clarified, I will be able to answer his question succinctly, clearly and concisely

Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is in reference to his answer to my oral question, which was in relation to the unionized workers. We are talking about unionized workers.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's our intention to go back to the table with the UNW on April 9th. We're optimistic we can conclude an arrangement very, very

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, in the meantime, until such a decision is made and negotiations are concluded, the people in the union will be receiving $208 less on their gross pay. Is that correct?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a hearing problem, Mr. Speaker. If my honourable colleague is enquiring whether on April 1st there is going to be a reduction of the northern allowance for unionized employees, the answer is no; until such time as we conclude the arrangements with the union, the current arrangement we have will stay in place. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me start off by talking briefly on how previous assemblies worked. We did have standing committees of this House. Previously, regarding the process of developing budgets, it was Cabinet and FMB that developed the budget and then we put it forward to the Finance committee and then it came to the House. So the Members only saw the budgets and any amalgamation or business plans once they were completed. Then they had the opportunity or the ability to remove things, cut from any capital or O and M budget that we did present to this House. They did not have the ability to put anything in their budgets.

In the 13th Legislative Assembly, which we all sit in today, we all agreed that all Members of this Legislative Assembly would have input in developing those budgets. So we have adopted some of the principles of the previous government and we have presented draft budgets and draft business plans of the departments to ordinary Members' committees. Members have had the opportunity to have input into not only taking things out of that budget, but putting things in. So now this time when we come up with a budget and we come up with business plans for this government for the direction we are going, it is going to be the first time in history of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories that all Members have had the opportunity to have input into the development of that budget.

So in the new way of doing business, Members have had the opportunity to have input, as well as to remove things and put things in. So I feel it is a better way to operate and I look forward to continuing to operate like that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ootes.

Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Antoine.