Thank you, Madam Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hakuna Matata. Don't worry, be happy. A saying I used earlier, Mr. Speaker, in speaking to the Minister of Finance. Unfortunately, it is just a saying right now and I do have concerns, especially when we look at the budget address under the heading of tax income.

Mr. Speaker, the Finance Minister once again raised the issue of taxes and he is talking here of personal income taxes. We had this issue raised earlier this week by my colleague from Range Lake. I have concerns, especially when we look at the previous budget address that we came into this fiscal year with, there was talk of taxes being included in that as well. Mr. Speaker, that shows a complete turnaround from what we were initially told as Members about taxes.

I would like to know from the Finance Minister what his intent is about personal income taxes. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my budget address, my intention on personal income tax is to do as all the other jurisdictions across Canada have, and move to a tax on income rather than our tax being a percentage of federal tax. That allows us much more flexibility.

As well, I mentioned in my budget address that I am looking at setting up an advisory panel to give me advice. This would be a panel made up of people who have expertise in the income tax area. They will be reporting back to me within a matter of months and giving me more advice on how we may want to restructure our taxes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe he should have put in his budget address that he will be dealing with tax accountants.

Mr. Speaker, my question is why has the Minister not brought this forward to the committee to initially start discussions there, so that we can all have input and speak for our constituents as well?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would be very pleased to bring it to the committee at any time the committee wants to discuss it. As well, as I mentioned in response to another Member's question the other day, I will bring the terms of reference for the proposed committee and certainly will bring to the committee any advice that is provided to me by this advisory panel. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our concern is that he would bring advice to us, to tell us how it would be implemented, and possible increases. If we delink, as the Finance Minister intends, is that in fact a way of possibly coming in for increases? I would like to know, if he comes forward to the committee to bring this, at what stage will it be?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not appreciate the implying of motives in my statement of what I intend to do. I want to be open with the Members. I do not have any motive of trying to, as Mr. Roland suggests or implies, of increasing income taxes. That is not my intention. My intention is to develop a good northern personal income tax system, one that is made in the North using our expertise. I will work with the committee to do that. I have committed to doing that. I do not have a hidden agenda as the Member suggests. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will look forward to having that meeting with the Minister in committee to see some of the details that he may have already worked out. His reference to my making comment...

Question, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When will the Finance Minister have information available for committee?

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

Mr. Speaker, I find the Member very confused. First of all, he said that he did not want me to bring him information. He wanted me to come and talk to the committee. I am prepared to do that as soon as he calls a meeting. I will do that this afternoon if he likes. In terms of information, the information, as I mentioned the other day, on the terms of reference for the advisory committee, I will do that once our main appropriations are through here.

Second, Mr. Speaker, is information from the advisory committee. I will bring that forward when the advisory committee brings me that information. I have not prepared a bunch of information at this point. I have served notice in the budget address that I intended to move us in that direction as have all other jurisdictions across Canada. About the only information I can share right now is information on what is happening in other parts of Canada, which my staff have been collecting. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in our discussion on water, the issue of the impact of Walkerton came up in terms of what happens if there are not clear standards or enforcement, and liability was mentioned as well. It has just been brought to my attention that in fact there is another ripple effect because of Walkerton. I have been led to believe that the NWTAM has group insurance for all the communities and have discovered that their rates are going to go up by as much as 70 to 75 percent, and one of the issues is the liability resulting from the disaster at Walkerton and what happened in that community and what happened in that municipality.

I would like to ask the Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs if he is aware of that particular turn of events and what the department plans to do to work with the communities to make sure that they do not get overburdened by these significant cost increases. Thank you.

Thank you. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must concur with the Member that I am not aware of the turn of events. I will endeavour to find a response back to the question. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Allen. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that, because I just became aware of this a few minutes ago. I would like to ask the Minister if he would keep me informed, and I will speak on that, and as well that my colleagues be kept informed, because if that is the case, it is going to potentially affect all of our communities. Thank you.