Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Mr. Todd.

I should indicate also that the two percent increase, plus northern allowance, plus, plus, plus. The reality is, as I said many times and even said as late as yesterday, there will be no cash lost, if you want, or wage loss to any of our existing employees. There are some employees who will have to be, I think the term is, red circled. They will get the northern allowance. They will get the two percent wage increase, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

That is a good and timely question given the earlier debate today about the reallocation of dollars and the overall fiscal framework of the government. The first thing I want to say is, there are no excess monies in relationship to the $40 million. That figure, as I said, frequently, was undertaken by careful analysis of the Hay Plan Associates job evaluation, et cetera. I want to say today because this gives me an opportunity. I want to let everybody know here that while we have balanced the budget, we still have to remain vigilant as to how we spend what we have left over because it is important, at the end of the day for all of you, myself included, that we maintain a balanced budget as we move into 1999. I would hope that this objective is common amongst all 24 of us.

We will find the $40 million, if you want, as you all know, we do maintain a small supplementary reserve that gives us some flexibility when we have unanticipated requirements. An example of that would be the year before last when Mr. Kakfwi had an enormous expenditure in the forest fire side of things. Last year, he had some savings, so there is some flexibility on the supplementary reserve. We are trying, to the best of our ability, to manage the monies of government as well as we should. We have budgeted for the sale of some assets. We think that will bring some cash in. We are hoping that through careful expenditure management; the fact that we maintain a small supplementary reserve for unanticipated spending requirements, a sale, if you want, of some of the assets that are going to be forthcoming. There are not many, but there is some out there that will be able to, at the end of the day, provide us with the $40 million.

We can ill-afford, at this time, to look beyond that, and I have indicated that to the Members on a number of occasions. It will not be easy, but I am optimistic, and I am watching the budgetary expenditures of the government on a weekly and monthly basis. I have alerted my department to keep their eye on where there may be the potential for some surpluses, although they become less and less these days, the way the expectation of the populous is. It is going to be a series of initiatives on my department's part along with the cooperation of my Cabinet colleagues in trying to find the $40 million should we reach an agreement where our membership and the membership of the UNW are given the democratic opportunity to vote on the final offer that we placed before them.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

Certainly, that is the intention. I have indicated, with the support of my Cabinet colleagues, as the Finance Minister, that we intend to remain on course for a balanced budget which the populous and future generations expect us to do. It certainly would be our intent to manage our money from within; as I said earlier, to look at some of the surpluses we might have and some of the supplementary reserves that we put in place. I keep my fingers crossed every day, when I come to work, and I look to see if there is any smoke out there. I am, quite frankly, nervous that Mr. Kakfwi will be coming in and saying, hey, Mr. Finance Minister, I need another $20 million for forest fires. Mr. Kakfwi has an obligation to keep those under control. We have an obligation to balance the budget, but these kinds of unanticipated expenditures worry me sometimes. It is going to take some careful management. It is going to take a little bit of luck at the end of the day in terms of fires and a number of other things that are out there. I am fairly confident we are on track, as long as we have the support of our colleagues here, recognize that no new spending of no other dollars that we do not have, does not occur, and we will be able to do this and still maintain the level of services and a balanced budget in March 31, 1999. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

Let me say from the outset, I fundamentally believe that the offer we have on the table is a fair one. I fundamentally believe it is also an affordable one. I do not know if passion is the right word, but I certainly believe that sincerely. I think the union has a moral obligation to allow its membership to vote on whether we have presented, as legislators, myself and my Cabinet colleagues, a fair agreement. If the union requests to go to a mediator, we are prepared to move today, tomorrow, the next day, but at the end of the day for me, when we all talk about democracy and the right of workers and the right of management, et cetera; I have to believe in my heart that the responsibility lies with the UNW to allow its membership, my constituents, to vote on whether this offer is fair or not. I believe we will be judged based on that. Thank you.

--Applause

Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

We have placed our final offer on the table, as the government. I do not want to be repetitive. Again, I feel very personal about this, and I think it is fair. It is a good offer, and I hope our employees will see it that way. The responsibility lies with the UNW now to ask it to go to mediation. If they do, we are ready to go. Once it goes to mediation, there will be a time line, I think, there. I cannot remember exactly what it is, 30 days or whatever. The mediator will come back and say something, and then a decision is to be made from there. I do not understand, quite frankly, why organized labour and the UNW are not prepared to take this to its membership. It has an obligation and a responsibility and all the legal arguments of the day do not take away from the fact that our constituents and our employees have a right to vote on this agreement.

Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as per my Member's statement earlier this morning, I would like to ask questions to Mr. Antoine, Minister of Transportation. First of all, I would like to say welcome back to the House. The question I have is, I understand from the constituents which I represent in Grise Fiord, that there were plans to make a wharf for the community. I was wondering if there are still plans and if funding is available to build a wharf in Grise Fiord? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Transportation, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the request from Grise Fiord for putting a wharf, I am aware of that. I was up in the community some time ago, and it was one of the topics that was raised. What we have done in the department is try to do some preliminary planning. I understand there was some consultation. Consultations were done trying to look for a site for such a wharf in that area, I think discussion that had

taken place about that with the leadership of the community and some department officials. We also had to identify material for the work, where it could be accessed, as well as how it could get done. These are the preliminary works that the department has conducted so far. The main part of this whole project is funding. We do not have any funding right now. The available funding for this program in this department is committed to projects that are in progress right now in other communities. This is where the money is tied up. The department and I are committed to continue to work with the community and yourself, as the MLA, to plan for these improvements in Grise Fiord for this marine infrastructure. The scheduling of when it gets done, will all depend on when funding for that program will become available. There is preliminary work going on, but we have not identified any source of funding to actually do it. Thank you.