I am advised by Ms. Melhorn there was never a specific transfer of dollars for aboriginal education. This issue that my colleague is alluding to goes back to the late 60's and early 70s. As far as myself and Ms. Melhorn are aware, there was no specific grant that was transferred to this government for aboriginal education. Ms. Melhorn and myself will double check on that but we are fairly confident that is a fairly accurate statement. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

I suspect it probably does. The health transfer took place in 1988. I would have to look at that transfer. I am working on that. It was ten years ago. I am working on trying to identify these documents, and it will take a considerable amount of time, energy and money to pull this together but we will pull it together and provide the honourable colleague with it.

Thank you. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Mr. Todd.

Well, I would ask that my honourable colleague ask that question to the Minister of Health. I do not know the answer to that question. I am the Minister of Finance. It is not a detail that I would have at my fingertips and I am prepared to get that information. Some of this stuff is 10 to 15 years old and you know, we need to take a look at it. I am trying to be as cooperative as I can, but I was asked two days ago about this issue. I cannot produce 15-year old data, 10-year old data overnight. It is just simply, not done. I will get the information that my colleague requires as quickly as I can and I will look into his concern. If he has any others, maybe he should tell me now, so I am not going back and forth. I would go back to my honourable colleague and say, could you be much more specific, does he have a concern about where the government historically received its money, and I think what he is saying to me and was it specifically designated for aboriginal people? Is that what my honourable colleague is trying to get to in terms of the overall question?

Thank you. Do you want to be more specific Mr. Steen?

Thank you. I have two more honourable Members who wish to ask question or make general comments. I will recognize Mr. Steen one more time after this. Mr. Todd.

I have said very clearly to Mr. Steen that I will endeavour to get the information he requires, but I did my budget on the 26th or 27th of January, which was four or five days ago. Surely, he is not suggesting here and now that I have all this information at my fingertips, when some of it is 10 to 15 years old. We have got people working around the clock on pay equity and everything else that is going on here. I am making a genuine effort to provide him the information, but I cannot define in this House right now, the depth of that kind of information. When I can provide it, I will make the effort to do that. I will make the commitment again, but I do not know when I can get it done. I will certainly endeavour to do it as quickly as I can and I do not think you can expect any more than that. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. I believe Mr. Todd has stated he is endeavouring to give details and they will be provided to the Members. Mr. Todd.

I think it is very important, I say to Mr. Steen now, I know where his line of questioning is heading. I

think it is important that he fully understand that once it gets into the formula grant, the Legislative Assembly votes on that money and determines where it is spent. And while we may have money for Arctic A airport transfer, that says we are going to give you $24 million to run the Arctic A airports, once it goes into the grant, there is no federal requirement or condition set on how that money is spent. This Assembly, the Cabinet and the FMB determine that. I think he has to understand that. In the meantime, I will endeavour to get the information he requires. He has to understand that it is in the context of just what I have said. There is no requirement once it is in the grant. If you get X amount of money to do X amount of work, that remains there on a consistent basis. How could you manage government that way? The reality is governments have crises and governments have shifts in the way they spend their money because of a variety of conditions. It could be economic slumps, it could be economic opportunities, it could be catastrophes, et cetera. It all comes out of the pot at the end of the day. Again, I repeat it, I will try to get as much information as I can, but I qualify it by saying there is no requirement on this legislator, this government or previous government to spend the money where the transfers have occurred once they go into the grant from Canada. Thank you.

I have on the list honourable Members who have not spoken during the review of this particular summary. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is in relation to the payroll tax, the revenues indicated here are $12.570 million. What I would like to know is, is this net revenue or gross revenue?

Thank you, Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. These are gross revenues and then there is a territorial tax credit that rolls in. I think it is somewhere around $11.5 million or $11.2 million for 1995. What I have here is, in rough numbers, we take in $12.5 million. Our tax credit over 1995-96 was in the $11 million-plus range, so the net impact of the government of the value of the administration of it, I suspect, as I have frequently said, is marginal. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I seek unanimous consent to extend the time to conclude this area.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking a unanimous consent to conclude this item to extend the sitting hour. Do we have any nays? We have several nays. I guess we are running out of time. I will recognize the clock and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Todd and witnesses. I will rise and report progress.