Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If there is no criteria, communities that are regional centres have the option? When I look at the list that I have before me, I have a 5.4 percent reduction by community. It is very clear that the non-tax base communities get a larger amount of money from the territorial government directly. I can pick an example out of the list that was provided by the Minister to one of the Members. One that stands out is Tuktoyaktuk receives over a million dollars and Inuvik receives $400,000. If we are talking about empowerment, community government, what is the incentive for people to become tax-based when it seems to me there is a reverse of incentive? Let us throw ourselves into the warm, comforting bosom of the territorial government and they will fund us, rather than having to pay municipal taxes. There seems to be no incentive for communities to become self-sufficient and control their funding and become tax-based because in this area and in educational taxes and property taxes, there is a huge disparity. How do we make that move?
Michael Miltenberger on Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on March 1st, 1997. See this statement in context.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 28th, 1997
Page 990
See context to find out what was said next.