The short answer, Mr. Chairman, is no. We cannot do that. I think there is a relationship between consumption of alcohol and the problems associated with it. Everybody understands that. The revenues generated through the sales of alcohol, like the sale of cigarettes and like the other taxes, all go into general revenues. I cannot see where you could specifically take it from here to put over there. It has to go back into the system. The system then determines what the overall budget of the government is. The Ministers, the Finance Minister, Cabinet and FMB decide, in consultation with committees, how the money is going to be distributed to the envelopes, et cetera. Everybody has to, as they say in the world of politics, duke it out to get their share based on whatever philosophy that is there. While I can appreciate where my colleague is going with this line of questioning, the answer to him, unfortunately, would be no.
John Todd on Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on February 4th, 1998. 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 4th, 1998
Page 565
John Todd Keewatin Central
See context to find out what was said next.