Mr. Speaker, the announced funding for the incremental and transitional costs for Nunavut has caused much concern for several of us here at the Legislative Assembly, as noted over the past couple of days. According to the press conference held by the federal Minister, Mr. Irwin, the announced funding of $150 million was based on the NIC-recommended decentralized model form of government.
Mr. Speaker, that is one of the reasons that Iqaluit was chosen as the new capital of Nunavut by the majority of voters. That is why many Nunavutians supported the decentralized model. The decentralized model of government would ensure that the benefits from decentralization would be evenly spread around Nunavut. Mr. Speaker, the cost of said decentralization, based on numbers in the original NIC report and the Coopers, Lybrand study, would indicate that the decentralization that was anticipated may not happen.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the Nunavut Leaders' Summit in Arviat at the end of the week, to find out what decentralized model the federal government based their numbers on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--- Applause