Thank you. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Minister, but I really think there is a lot of room for improvement here. Mr. Speaker, the next point is the fact that under this program the way it is written now, the Minister indicated earlier that only the people who pay for the fuel get the rebate. That is not true. The way it is written, people who do not pay for fuel will get this benefit. Is that not true? Does he not see any problem with that, Mr. Speaker?

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

Mr. Speaker, yes, it is true. Some people who will have experienced rent increases, for example, will be eligible for a rebate. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that is the second item that I will be talking to the Minister about in the meeting. My last point, Mr. Speaker, is there have been questions about the arbitrary deadline of March 31st. I do not understand this deadline because, Mr. Speaker, the fuel price was high last year. It probably will be high six months from now. Why the arbitrary deadline?

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

Mr. Speaker, if Ms. Lee wants, I can share with her letters that I have received from people who say I need the money now, I cannot wait. I could have said it as...

We have a point of order. Ms. Lee, your point of order.

Point of Order

I rise on a point of order on the first instance that I can do this. Mr. Speaker, I believe that my right to represent my constituents and the people who call me and e-mail on this issue has been jeopardized in this House. There is every indication from the Minister that somehow those people who write to him and call him and whatever are so much more valuable than people who call me and convey this idea. I object to the fact that the people who write to him are more important than those who write to me. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. I think the Minister is answering a question. I am not certain as to whether or not any one of the questions is more important. The Minister is attempting to answer the question as seen by the Chair. Mr. Handley, continue your answer.

Mr. Speaker, I am answering the question of why the arbitrary cutoff, as Ms. Lee asked. I do not know what information she gets. All I am saying is people are saying to me they need assistance now, my circumstances are such that I need to get some help here. There is nothing magical about the March 31st deadline. It is just a time line I have set as being realistic, and one that I can hope to live up to and get some help out to the people who need it.

Thank you, Minister Handley. I apologize, Ms. Lee. You did not have a point of order. I should have said that. I attempted to, but I cut off my own microphone too soon. Ms. Lee, your supplementary.

Mr. Speaker, I have a point of privilege.

Thank you. The Member is claiming point of privilege. Ms. Lee, what is your point of privilege?

Point of Privilege

Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I should have rose on a point of privilege and not on a point of order. I do not have the rule book with me, but the rule book states that a Member has the right to raise a point of privilege if the Member feels that anything that happens in the House somehow infringes and interferes with her ability to do her job as an MLA. I really feel very strongly that consistent in this House in replying to my questions that somehow my information is untruthful, unreliable, that I am not listening to the people, that some other Members here have more exclusive rights, more domain or privilege to the info, is objectionable. It is interfering with how I am doing my work.

Not only that, the people in my riding need to be heard, Mr. Speaker. If I keep getting told, "I do not know who she is talking to, I do not know what she is talking about. I am here to help people and she is not." That is a problem, Mr. Speaker. My position as an MLA is in great jeopardy. I believe my privilege as a Member has been jeopardized. I ask for your ruling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. We have heard your point of privilege. The Chair, at its first opportunity, will review Hansard to see what was said to determine if in fact the honourable Member has a point of privilege.

The Chair will entertain any other comments as to whether the Member's privileges have been violated. Any other comments? To the point of privilege. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise on the point of privilege on the basis that information the Minister has revealed, where he is receiving letters and what not, it is not a privilege for us to see the same letters he is talking about. On the basis of the information where he is making assumptions or decisions is a privilege to himself and not to all of us as Members in this House, I think that is something we have to realize. We have not seen those letters. We have not had an opportunity to reply to the letters the Minster has received. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. To the point of privilege. Any other comments from Members? The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak in support of Ms. Lee's concerns. I believe she feels the Minister is alluding that somehow it is more effective to call or write a Minister if you want to get something done. Somehow this information is more accurate than anything anybody could tell Regular Members. I agree with her concerns. I believe it is just an arrogant attitude by government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. To the point of privilege. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, if I am, with my comment, creating a perception that somehow I have better information or whatever, that is not my intention, Mr. Speaker. I realize that all of us receive information. Thank you.

Thank you. To the point of privilege. Any other comments? There being no further input by Members, I just want to indicate that a point of privilege raised during question period does not stop the clock, so question period is being used up for this. It can be raised at an opportune time. I have heard concerns by the honourable Members and I will reserve judgment here to another point. Ms. Lee, I believe you still had one supplementary question. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister now agree that it is more important to spend the public money wisely than to try to live up to an arbitrary deadline to spend $1.4 million? Would he not agree, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.