Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Todd began the Budget Address by saying that this was not business-as-usual budget as these were not usual times. But, Mr. Speaker, these could be the best of times or the worst of times; it wouldn't matter. As most governments across Canada and every provincial, federal and territorial jurisdiction knows, we now have to pay for the largesse of governments of the past.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is no different. I do not come here today to vilify or, for that matter, criticize the way Mr. Todd has handled his first budget. Some of the media have painted his budget as a business budget. I disagree. This budget is a budget that is trying to deal with, as I said earlier, the largesse of the past. Our fiscal situation is also compounded by a low revenue-generation level and by continuing federal transfer cuts. With the highest birthrate and the highest unemployment rates in the country, the jurisdiction of the GNWT has some major problems to deal with. When we combine this with the division of the Territories on April 1, 1999, a casual observer can see that these are not ordinary times.

Hear! Hear!

However, this government, through the new committee structure, has sought to open the decision-making process to include all 24 MLAs and I have been very pleased to have been part of this process.

Hear! Hear!

But, Mr. Speaker, with 24 Members you will have varying opinions in Caucus and in the House. I also agreed that we could balance the budget in one year, but I also realize that this might have meant more Draconian measures that this government would have had to take.

Mr. Todd says he will have a balanced budget in 1997-98, but we still can, over the next 18 months, continue to look for efficiency in our spending to help reach that target. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Todd's budget was bursting at the seams with optimism. That is a laudable way of approaching a deficit, Mr. Speaker; an accumulated deficit of stratospheric proportions.

Ohh!

At times, the announced plan of this government has seemed to be a case of penny wise and dollar dumb, but it cannot be said that this government has not tried to live up to the realities of this fiscal time. Efficiency, Mr. Speaker, efficiency.

Hear! Hear!

The way this government spends the taxpayers' dollars has be reviewed. Many of the cuts and downsizing that we will see and have seen could be eliminated if we strove for better spending practices. Accountability, Mr. Speaker, accountability of the negotiated contracts and sole-source contracts that this government gets involved in must be made clearer. When the facts are on the table and this government nears the high-water mark of transparency, then and only then will we be able to properly debate the current schemes and solutions that this government presents in this budget.

Public government is accountable to the public, and they will judge the Todd budget and the measures taken by Cabinet and the 15 ordinary Members. I have no problem with this. Mr. Speaker, in my campaign, I said that I would speak out against knee-jerk reactions to our fiscal situation, and I think that this sentiment was carried on through the whole budget process. But, Mr. Speaker, I still think we could have done more to bring down the accumulated deficit. Mr. Todd's address has forecasted an accumulated deficit of $85 million by the end of this fiscal year. This is unacceptable to many of the Members and is unacceptable to me.

Hear! Hear!

I do not want to see us go into division with a $100 million -- Mr. Speaker, $100 million -- $100 million accumulated deficit. That is not why I was elected.

--- Interjection

I will start over if you would like me to, Mr. Miltenberger. That is why I said earlier that we could have done more, and that is why I spoke out against the appropriation that was before this House last month. We could have taken more out of the capital budget, Mr. Speaker, but there wasn't the political will to do so. If we do not take the accumulated deficit down by the end of next year, Mr. Speaker, there will be no -- and I will say it again; there will be no -- political will in the year 1998-99 going into an election. That's what we're facing, Mr. Speaker.

I honestly thought, and still do, that we could have cut more out of the capital budget. We could have increased the surtax on incomes over $100,000, as stated by Alternatives North. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Todd gave some good examples on how the GNWT will try and generate extra revenue by working closer with the private sector, but we must increase the efficiency of this government. That has to be the first priority. We do not have any more Commissioner's balls and we no longer take junkets all over the globe. These are different times for the GNWT. We have to base the capital needs of our communities on needs and not wants. Every community doesn't need a Zamboni machine, Mr. Speaker, in an arena. As one of the honourable Members said, we have shovels, maybe we can do some make-work projects.

We have to get more bang for our buck, Mr. Speaker. It is no good if this government increases this revenue by 15 or 20 per cent but continues to spend 30 or 40 per cent more than we take in. I'm glad Mr. Todd stayed to hear what I was saying. This will mean doing government differently, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Picco, just to remind the Members again not to mention Members' names who are absent from the House. Thank you.

I apologize. Mr. Speaker, we have to get more bang for our buck. Mr. Speaker, it is no good if this government increases its revenue by 15 or 20 per cent but continues to spend 30 or 40 per cent more than we take. This will mean doing government differently and I had hoped that this would have come up in the Budget Address. We will also have to look at the total expenditures of this government for cost-effective spending for the results we expect. Our senior employees have been through the days of largesse but, Mr. Speaker, they will also have to change their mindset as these are different times.

Mr. Speaker, the announcement by Mr. Todd about community wellness and community empowerment was well taken. But using the community empowerment example, I hope that we do not dump programs and responsibilities onto communities and then withdraw our monetary commitments because we are being cut fiscally.

Mr. Speaker, I also have some concerns with the announced Mortgage Investment Corporation. After having time to speak to commercial lenders in the residential markets, I feel that the MIC may not be justified and I will be looking for more detail from the Minister.

Excuse me, Mr. Picco. Mr. Henry, your point of order.

Point Of Order

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we do not have sufficient Members in the House.

The Member for Yellowknife South recognized that we don't have a quorum. Mr. Clerk, would you ring the bell.

--- Ringing of bells

Mr. Picco, continue your reply.

Can I start from the beginning again?

--- Interjection

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank my fellow colleagues for giving me the opportunity today to make a reply to the Budget Address, as it was on the order paper. I'm sure with all the media present, they have taken notice,

Mr. Speaker, the announcements by Mr. Todd about community wellness and community empowerment were well taken. But using the community empowerment example, I hope that we do not dump programs and responsibilities onto communities and then withdraw our monetary commitments because we are being cut fiscally.

Mr. Speaker, I also have some concerns with the announced Mortgage Investment Corporation. After having time to speak to commercial lenders in the residential markets, I feel that the MIC may not be justified and I will be looking for more detail from the Minister.

Mr. Speaker, the Todd budget will go down in history as his first budget, but it will also be remembered as a budget that tried to change the spending habits of the GNWT; not an easy task. Mr. Speaker, I supported Mr. Todd for Cabinet because I thought he was the best person to fill the Finance portfolio. Mr. Speaker, unbelievable as it sounds, after I've seen the questions that I've asked the Minister over the past X number of months, I still believe this. However, I will continue to offer Mr. Todd and my fellow colleagues in Cabinet prodding to continue to cut our spending by looking for increased efficiency and not just motherhood statements and flowery words as I have heard over the past few weeks.

The people of the NWT deserve no less and will remember these things when the elected Members seek re-election, and justifiably so, Mr. Speaker. I would like to pass on to my fellow colleagues in Cabinet and Mr. Todd a short statement: A goal without a number is just a slogan. And, Mr. Speaker, the people of the NWT deserve more than a slogan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Picco. Item 10, replies to Budget Address. Just to remind the Members that you still have four more days to reply to the Budget Address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Picco.

Report On Bill 8

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that Standing Committee on Infrastructure has reviewed Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, and wishes to report that Bill 8 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motions for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 11, Appropriation Act, 1996-97; Committee Report 1-13(3), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates; Committee Report 2-13(3), Standing Committee on Infrastructure Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates; Committee Report 3-13(3), Standing Committee on Resource Management and Development Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates; and, Committee Report 4-13(3), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the 1996-97 Main Estimates, with Mr. Ningark in the chair.