Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I could refresh the Minister's memory. Last week in Hansard, the Education Minister and the Finance Minister said that the Members of this House pick and select the priorities of the government where money is going to be spent. For example, $500,000 or more surpluses in the firefighting budget was then reallocated to other departments based on a priority. Is the Minister telling me if the Members of this House do not think education is a priority, he cannot shift money around? I think

over the last couple of weeks the questions and the statements made in this House have demonstrated that, indeed, to the Members of this House, education is a priority. I will ask the Minister, what happens to that money when there are surpluses that he cannot remember? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I like it when my colleague gets excited. (Applause) Anyway, Mr. Speaker, as I said to my colleague and the colleagues in the House at this time, I do not see where there are going to be any surpluses except for what we announced in the budget. I believe if there was an overall surplus in the budget, it would go against the accumulated deficit to ensure that when the two new territories come into being, that the debt load that they will have to carry will be less. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to debate the Minister or take the bait. I am trying to ask a question. I believe the Minister is not entirely correct when he says that the only surpluses in this government would be directed toward the deficit because, as I just explained, there was a surplus in the firefighting budget. I believe last month there was $1.2 million under RWED that was rebased into other departments. My question is, in those cases, not at the end of the fiscal year, but in those cases, where money has not been expended within an individual line item, individual departments, would the Minister help Mr. Dent, he said he needs the priority from the Members of this House. Will he help the Department of Education and rebase those monies? That is what I am asking.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my honourable colleague knows, I was talking about any surpluses that may be acquired at year end that would be charged up against the accumulated deficit to ensure that his children, whom he talked so fondly about earlier today, are going to have a future and that they are not going to carry along a huge debt into Nunavut. That is the overall objective of this government and if there are any departmental surpluses, we would review it as we normally do at the FMBS, make some recommendations, whether it is education or whether it is health care, or whether it is our colleagues in the House today and the friendship centres, et cetera. I am not prepared here to say whether one way or another. We put money into education, the friendship centres, health care, justice system, hospitals, et cetera, that this House has been debating for the last two and a half years. What we will do is look at any surpluses in a comprehensive way, allocate them according to the priorities established in this House by both Cabinet and the Legislative Assembly and get on with the job of doing government and doing it well. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it took a couple of supplementaries to get to this point, but indeed, we just found out that there are departmental surpluses at varying times, that FMBS and this House decide what the priorities are. It has been demonstrated, this House has identified education as a priority. Again, I would ask the Minister of Finance, that when there are departmental surpluses, would the Minister and the FMBS, the Cabinet, the government and Ordinary Members have an opportunity to ask and go to Mr. Todd to make education a priority so we could rebase like we did last week with some other organizations within this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must be clear, Mr. Speaker, education is a priority of this government, the same as health care, housing for poor people and friendship centres, et cetera. It is naive for my colleague to stand up in the House and say, it is a number one priority and, therefore, we should shift the money there because I have the support of this House. If he wishes to bring a motion in, and suggest to me as to where we put it, and the House says where it wants it, we would give it due consideration. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Henry.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If my honourable colleague is referring to the liquor warehouse which currently resides across from the MacDonald's, the arrangement which has been made with this government is, we have offered the land to the city at a nominal fee, so they can build the new arena they wish to build. The land and the arrangement are

conditional upon them building the arena on that property. We would put out to public tender the acquisition of the building itself. It is no longer required as it now has been privatized and is in private hands. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that information and I understand from what he says is, the City of Yellowknife was offered the land. Was that a condition of the City of Yellowknife obtaining the land that they would build an arena on it or can they use it for some other project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We were clear, explicit both in writing and orally. It means the land was approved by Cabinet conditional on the city building the arena on that property. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if the City of Yellowknife chooses not to build an arena on that land, will the Government of the Northwest Territories repossess it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Todd.

Mr. Speaker, if the city should decide not to utilize the land to build the arena, the land will come back to the government. Then the government will make a decision as to how to dispose of it. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Henry.