Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in this House, I spoke about the continued reliance of this government on federal funds to operate our government. Approximately, 82 cents of every dollar spent by this government comes directly or indirectly from the federal government. On April 1, 1999, and beyond, the new government of Nunavut will be at about 98 cents of every dollar spent coming from the federal government. Mr. Speaker, this may seem at first to be pessimistic, but it need not be. The elected officials in Nunavut will have to explore new areas to bring new monies and new revenue generating possibilities. That is why I wrote several letters before Christmas to NTI, our MP Jack Anawak, and met with officials in Ottawa in November. I am pleased that three of my suggestions are now beginning to take off.
The Nunavut stamp idea has been brought forward to the Canada Post Corporation, the Nunavut coin has been forwarded on to the Honourable Diane Marlow in Ottawa, and the Premier of the Northwest Territories recently wrote to encourage and support the idea of declaring 1999 the year of Nunavut. This was followed by meetings I had with the heritage officials in Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker, these ideas are beginning to take fruit, and new revenue streams are about to come into Nunavut. In Iqaluit, over the past several months, we have been continuing to work on our cold weather testing facility and enhancing the airport's ability to be marketed, in order to generate jobs and revenue to benefit our residents. We have to be pro-active in our approaches to developing new markets for our renewable resources such as fish, caribou, and seal products. The opportunity for further exploration and mineral finds seems to be very positive. Fur prices have never been higher this decade, yet fewer people are trapping. We should be looking at ways to have hunters and trappers encouraged to expand this area. A tax could be introduced on gambling or games of chance winnings. I will be asking the Minister of Finance about these areas later.
Mr. Speaker, while today, and maybe tomorrow, we will be in the throes of deficit reduction and lay-offs, we have to look for alternatives to our current situation. We have to pay today, for the largesse of previous governments and expenditures. Mr. Speaker, we have to offer the people of the Northwest Territories more than just lay-offs and cut-backs. That is not the legacy the 13th Assembly wants to be remembered for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.