Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have not been informed recently by the Minister of Health as to what the strategy of those talks are. I will raise the issue with him, and he will bring me up-to-date, honourable Member. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

No, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe, I would rephrase my question for the benefit of Mr. Todd, and his short answer today. I am getting tired of these little short answers. Can Mr. Todd explain why the dramatic turnaround from a $38 million deficit to the $8 million surplus for the people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, it is important to differentiate and that was something my honourable colleague did, given his previous experiences as community futures executive director between a balanced budget approach and the accumulated deficit. In fact, the accumulated deficit is the only place the balanced budget approach will come about based upon this budget being approved and the targets that we set together in committee with the ordinary Members. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister has provided the Main Estimates for 1997-98, the surplus for the current year, $8,893. Can Minister Todd give us an idea of what he thinks the picture will be like the following year, for 1998-99?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are projecting, as I said, a balanced budget this year, subject to the budget being approved and the targets that have been set by Committee and by the Ministers. I think it would be imprudent of me at this time to make any public statements as to what I can project in 1999, because there are a number of factors out there that have to be taken into consideration, and if I had to do that I would have to qualify it by saying, you know, subject to et cetera, et cetera. So, perhaps I may be prepared to answer that question in the coming months or next fall. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the surplus of the $8,893, will Mr. Todd be putting that against the accumulated deficit of $56,586, as forecast?

Thank you. That was your final supplementary, Mr. Todd.

Sometimes, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. Anyway, if Mr. Picco will take the time to read the financial statement, he will see that any surpluses that are determined are charged up against the accumulated surplus.

-- Applause

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the party responsible for determining the costs associated with Footprints in the Snow 2, I believe, would be the NIC. We have a significant amount of obvious fiscal data that we would be prepared to share with them, but I would see them taking the lead on determining the actual costs associated with the design that they have provided us with.

I think it is important, as I have said last week and I said in the budget address, that it is incumbent upon the federal government and the NTI to come forward with their response to Footprints 2, and now. We hope that they will call for action, so that we can then work on appropriate compromises, what the basic framework of the new Nunavut government would be. I am prepared then to get on with a much more aggressive approach to costing it and determining the associate interim costs on the basis required to get it going. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.