Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did float the idea with a number of people before bringing it here. I want to say this is not just an idea that is being floated. I have said in my Budget Address yesterday that it is my intention to introduce legislation respecting this later in the Session. I would not want to characterize it as just being an idea floated out there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell us who he consulted? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I have talked to a number of people about it. I am not sure that they want me to name them in here so I will not say exactly who I talked to. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you. Can the Minister tell us if he made any formal presentations on the hotel tax to the Northwest Territories Chamber of Commerce, Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce or the Northwest Territories Tourism Associations?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I did not make any formal presentations to any of the associations. I did make a presentation to the standing committee. That is the only one that I would call even a formal presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell us if the standing committee is the only group that he made a presentation to, and whether or not he would characterize the reception he got as ecstatic, lukewarm, or somewhere in the middle? Can he let us know?

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

I may have been in my optimistic mood that day, but I thought it was ecstatic.

-- Laughter

Seriously, Mr. Speaker, I think it was less than ecstatic. I think there was a fair bit of interest in it, and on that basis, we have continued to work on this tax. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I listened to the Budget Address yesterday quite closely. I was interested in one comment that was made by the Finance Minister, and I would like to read a short paragraph out of it, if I could.

"Given our fiscal position, the fact that we are able to maintain the service levels we currently enjoy is an achievement worth noting. We are maintaining the levels of services provided to Northerners, and investing where we can to get maximum returns on the future for both our people and our economy."

Can I assume from that, Mr. Speaker, that the Minister of Finance is clarifying that there will be no tax cuts to tax-based communities, or no block funding cuts to tax-based communities?

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the only tax cut that is being made to municipalities is the one that has already been announced. I think we dealt with that in the interim appropriations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was under the impression that during the interim appropriation we had managed to hold that cut to block funding, to reverse the decision on that. I am assuming that the Minister is saying that those block funding cuts will still be in place. What is the Minister's interpretation of those cuts, as to how it affects maintaining the levels of services to our people and our economy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the cut that was made to the block grants was 4.7 percent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister tell me what guarantees are in place that there will be no further cuts to tax-based communities where tax-based communities are providing services for this government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Handley.