Thank you. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am trying to be civil to my honourable colleague, but I think I already answered that three times. I said that I would provide her with that information. I do not have it here and I will table the contract in the House. What more can I do? How more transparent can you be?

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am anticipating these questions and I genuinely want to answer them in a correct way, rather than take it as notice, but it appears that I am obviously not getting through. I will take the question as notice and I will give a full detailed response to my colleague and my other colleague across the floor, so that he can understand exactly where the government is at.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question by my honourable colleague. The reality is, what we are trying to accomplish here. I did address it in the Standing Committee on Government Operations, for those who were there. I did address it saying this is the larger issue of a new fiscal relationship with the federal government and in particular for the Western Territory.

It is abundantly clear as you move forward in western governments and if you engage in the western government's document, of which the Premier is going to talk about in the coming week, that you cannot move forward in a tax window, and in the development of roads to resources and the sharing of royalties and taxation, without some answer, and without moving forward on the constitutional changes that you require in the Western Territory. This is not a question of looking at existing programs, although we are doing that. It is the larger issue for me, as the Finance Minister, looking at the new fiscal relationship with the federal government in an effort to gather new revenues and new resources and be less dependent on the transfer payments that we are currently getting. When we look at western governments and Economic Strategy, they are intimately linked and that is where we are heading to at this time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is correct. That is where we are heading. Maybe I can explain it. It is three or four basic initiatives that we are trying to undertake. One, we are trying to get into the tax window, and Mr. Martin said that he would at least put a table together after we resolve the budgets of the two new territories and balance the budget. Two, we are looking at trying to find ways and means in which to generate the dollars that are required, particularly in the Western Territory of significant magnitude that can make a difference. That is what the Road to Resources and the Non-renewable Strategy is all about. It is all inter-related.

I am hoping, at the end of the day, we will be able to demonstrate that to the public, to the House, and get some support for it. Certainly, in my initial discussions with the groups that I have spoken to, there seems to be some initial support for where we are heading. Thank you.

Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All the Ministers who are intimately involved in this initiative are simply working towards that objective. This is not a short-term cure for our economic woes. This has got to be a long-term strategy that you look out there and start developing, if you want, an environment for change. A new fiscal relationship with Canada, which we have not had before, because the opportunity never presented itself before.

I believe that politically, at least, at the national level, certainly from my discussions with Mr. Martin and Ms. Stewart, and the Premiers and Mr. Kakfwi, et cetera, that there is a willingness to engage with us in a new fiscal relationship that will bring about optimistically, new opportunities for the Western Territory, less dependence, more self-reliance and greater economic activity. I do not say that just to be politically correct, I believe that. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Todd.

Well, it is going to be an integrated approach and it is certainly the intention for that to take place. I am trying to get a working draft as quickly as I can to everybody including the public, that is the way we are going here. Mr. Dent has been involved and Mr. Kakfwi of course, is working aggressively on a new economic agreement which I am sure he will talk about later. Mr. Antoine is working aggressively on the road strategy.

All I am doing is trying to coordinate it all because to some extent, it all hinges on the new fiscal arrangement that we have with Canada which will then give us the opportunity to do the kinds of things that we all want to do. It is not a finance initiative, it is an initiative of the Cabinet and my role is to coordinate all the pieces, put forward a strong and strenuous argument for a less dependent new Western Territory. In the eastern territory, we are working closely with the group I talked about earlier and providing them with all the information they require. They are moving along at a fairly aggressive pace as well. I would hope that the draft document we would be able to provide people, will answer, if not all of these questions that have been raised, most of them. Thank you.

Oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker the WCB is very successful and one of the few WCBs in Canada that is fully funded. What is driving the process at the present time to look at two separate WCBs east and west? Economies of scale would tell us, Mr. Speaker, that the best course would be to not split or divide or create two new boards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.