Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 1, too, support Nunavut, as I am sure all the MLAs in this House do. However, if there isn't enough money to implement Nunavut coming from the federal government, that probably means that some of the money might have to come from the GNWT's budget. If this happens, how will it affect the territory that is left over here in the West? Thank you.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We haven't got to that level of detail yet. We have just gotten these numbers from the federal government on transition costs. I believe it is $117 million, after you subtract the federal government's presence in the North and what that costs. We will consider that. We are concerned, as well as Members of this Assembly, about the numbers and what type of territories we will have. We are going to have two new territories April 1, 1999. We do want two territories that are financially viable and we don't want layers upon layers of government and our community people getting hit or taking the brunt of the blow and not receiving adequate programs and services because of the cost of too much government. We are going to take a serious look at that and we will report back to the Members. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mrs. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the concern from the riding of Hay River. I think all of these concerns are the same in all areas of the NWT because leaders need to be trained to take over

responsibilities and training is a very important part of this objective.

Also, our officials in the department are working towards this end to ensure that communities get trained. Our officials are working to train the community leaders, so they can take over the transfers in an orderly fashion. Transfers are still going ahead and more and more communities are coming up with proposals to take over programs that this government currently runs. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mrs. Thompson.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can provide you with this information. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance, Minister Todd. Can you explain to this House why we have been hearing figures of $150 million, $120 million, $117 million, for Nunavut's incremental funding, as it relates to Minister Irwin's press release of last week? Can we have a breakdown of exactly how this money is going to be divided? Thank you.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is a good question and it is a very important one. Earlier, Mr. Ootes asked the same question. My understanding of the $150 million is $30 million plus will go into what we call a federal government expenditure base that they require to set up their offices in Nunavut in your colleague, Mr. Picco's, riding of Iqaluit, which makes it $120 million. Within that $120 million, there is also somewhere in the region of $1 million to $2 million with respect to the operation of the Nunavut Implementation Commission which, while important, has no direct bearing on the services and the infrastructure of Nunavut.

So, in fact, out of $149.859 million, we believe the actual money spent in the development of training and infrastructure, is somewhere in the region of $117 million over a four-year period; 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that there were education tax increases under the previous government. The latest one of 10 per cent was done through the Financial Management Board. I would have to check with my department as to the reason for not advising my honourable colleague in the committees. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a somewhat technical question. I don't have it at my fingertips, the individual tax increases. I did say in my statement earlier today, in my response to a question raised by my honourable colleague, that the yield in total was $575,000 for the year 1996-97, but I will take the question as notice so I can give my honourable colleague an accurate reflection of the question he has asked. Thank you.