Thank you. Oral question. Mr. Steen.

The Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Keewatin Pilot Project is a proposal to the Keewatin mayors and the Keewatin Pilot Project is a comprehensive proposal to transfer the management, maintenance and operation of all community based infrastructure to Keewatin community governments. The pilot project proposal was first introduced to the Keewatin communities at the Kivallivik Leadership Forum held in Repulse Bay on April 15 to 17, 1997. It was also in my Business Plan which was passed last budget through this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, community empowerment is the priority of this government not the NIC, but we are consulting with the NIC and the Interim Commissioner on any infrastructure transfers which may impact on Footprints 2. So, we have studied Footprints 2 before we did this. This is just at a proposal stage to the Kivallivik mayors. Community empowerment is a priority of this government. This is under the priority of community empowerment. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there seems to an understanding that this is a regional government we are forming. This is not a regional government. This does not have law making authority, so it is not a regional government. This is what the mayors of the communities want in the Keewatin. We are also proposing this pilot project to the Beaufort Delta communities. This is what we have heard from the communities of Keewatin that they would rather have community transfers done to the whole region instead of each individual community which is already happening across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Final supplementary, Mr. Steen.

Ms. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is not a form of a regional government. It is not. It is just a coordinated way of transferring infrastructure instead of transferring into each community which is already happening across the Northwest Territories. The mayors got together and thought it would be more of a coordinated approach to do it as a region. We are not developing a regional government, and yes, the Interim Commissioner of Nunavut will be consulted on any infrastructure transfer which may impact on Footprints 2. This is not a regional government. It is a better way of doing things. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. In regards to the investment package recommended to the Minister last year by the Standing Committee on Government Operations and specifically on the tax credit program that I referred to in my statement. Mr. Speaker, I have met with the Minister on this subject earlier, a couple of times. I also asked about it in committee meetings, and I was assured that things were progressing. At this time I would like to know what is happening with the investment tax credit program which we had referred to in our report as NORTHTIIP.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all let me thank my honourable colleague, Mr. Erasmus for actually providing my department and myself with some direction on some of these new initiatives. As he said earlier, the Aurora Fund which we have just completed and we are on to Aurora Fund 2. On this initiative with respect to the tax incentive for small business we are developing a proposal as we speak. We are checking out what we think the net numbers will be in relationship to how much the tax credit is

going to cost us and what is the return on investment for it. Should we decide to proceed, we will need to bring in some legislation which will have to be fast tracked. I am optimistic at this early stage, although I have not done a complete analysis, but I am optimistic that we are going to get federal government approval because we have to get that to get Revenue Canada to assist us in this process. With committee and legislative support we may be able to incorporate this into our budget in early January and move expeditiously to pass the legislation that is necessary for this important initiative to unfold. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would it be possible to get together with the Investment Sub-Committee and the Minister to see how to proceed on this matter?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, well suddenly the initial partnership approach which we took with respect to analyzing other jurisdictions and how it would impact our constituency was a very effective one, particularly with the Aurora Fund. I would be only to happy to join with my colleague and the other colleagues to see if we could map out a strategy, assuming once we have done the financial analysis that it is in our best interest to conclude a strategy and to bring this new initiative into place early in the new year. Thank you.