Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Dent.
Debates of April 22nd, 1999
This is page numbers 273 - 302 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 289
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 289
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. No, in fact, we managed to keep some of our increases in taxes now, rather than it being a straight dollar trade. For every extra dollar we raise we get to keep $.20.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 289
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Dent. Further general comments on the Department of Finance? Mr. Henry.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 289
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I have some questions surrounding the Department of Finance and the government's support of some of the diamond cutting and polishing facilities, ventures that entrepreneurs are setting up. Could the Minister tell us the number of businesses that are presently receiving financial guarantees from this government? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 289
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 289
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Again, this was an item that should have been raised yesterday when I had FMBS officials with me as the Secretariat is responsible for this issue. To the best of my knowledge, at this time, there has been only one guarantee concluded and in place under the auspices of this government.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I would apologize for bringing that up under the wrong area. I sincerely believed it was the Department of Finance that guaranteed it. If I could be allowed the prerogative of one additional question. I would be interested in knowing what margin requirements are on those guarantees, or can the business access all the guarantees? What margins are on them in inventory or receivables? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I cannot answer the question in detail, but I do know the amount of guarantee is tied to various factors, including the amount of rough that companies are purchasing.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Yes, I can appreciate the Minister may not have that information at hand, but could he commit to getting that information to Members? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
I will endeavour to make what information I can available to Members.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Dent. Further general comments. Before we move on to the detail we are going to take a very brief break.
--Break
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
The Chair Seamus Henry
The committee will come back to order. Mrs. Groenewegen, you have a question of the Minister?
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Jane Groenewegen Hay River
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister has indicated that his department is responsible in the area of taxation and the last couple of years, if not longer, the department has heard requests for consideration of an alteration in the gas tax for off-road vehicles and, at one time the department was working on getting precedence or prototypes or samples of the kind of rebate regime that they have in other provinces, but to date we have never heard anything about this. I would like to know where that is at in the department, because it has been outstanding for quite sometime. It was a request that was going to be investigated and reported back and I do not believe we have heard anything. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
The Chair Seamus Henry
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am advised that because of the expected volume, this program would be extremely expensive to administer through a tax program. It would be far more economic to administer an assistance program to fishers, trappers or farmers, if that were the will of this government. To administer such a program through a gas tax would be very expensive.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
The Chair Seamus Henry
Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mrs. Groenewegen.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Jane Groenewegen Hay River
I guess it would be actually a gas tax rebate. Was there ever any briefing paper or, I want to say report, any conclusions identified and recorded on behalf of the department that we could use to pursue this further with, for example, the department of economic development and tourism?
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
The Chair Seamus Henry
Thank you, Mrs Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is no formal report, but what I can offer the Member is to have a briefing note or a letter prepared with the information from the analysis that was performed by the department.
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
The Chair Seamus Henry
Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mrs. Groenewegen, further questions?
Committee Motion 1-13(7): Identification And Evaluations Of Alternative Sources Of Revenue
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 290
Jane Groenewegen Hay River
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, back in October of 1995, prior to this Legislative Assembly, the 13th Assembly commencing, there was considerable consultation which took place with the public on the issue of eliminating the deficit and the report was to the Minister of Finance at the time. I believe that it may have been worked on substantially by the former Deputy Minister of Finance and I have copies of this report here, and some of the areas that the public was consulted on were options that the GNWT should follow to raise additional revenues just to name one subtitle here. I am wondering, is this kind of information available to the department, do they ever peruse this type of thing and on the basis of some of the consultation and reports that have been done in the past? Do you ever try to compile options or gain information from such things as this that we probably spent a lot of time and effort on in the past? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.