Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak a little about tax policy. I think we have had extensive discussion on tax policy, specifically the committee the Minister is setting up to look at personal income tax, the TONI committee, I believe it is called. TONI, as we know, will allow us some flexibility in setting up our own tax regime, and we are simply following other jurisdictions.

I would like to talk a little bit about small business tax, Mr. Speaker. The media has picked up recently on some comments made by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. I know that currently there is a review of BIP underway, and I believe recommendations have come before Cabinet.

One thing that interested me in the initial review of BIP was a comment that reducing the small business tax rate in the Northwest Territories from its current five percent to zero percent would only cost the GNWT in lost revenues $1.6 million per year, Mr. Speaker. That is not very much. It is really a minimal cost when you factor in the companies that might relocate because of the advantage and file taxes in the North.

Obviously we would not collect more taxes, but when you look at this in terms of job creation and spending from small business, I think it is clear that this is something we would want to move toward, Mr. Speaker.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which apparently represents 200 northern firms, has stated that the Northwest Territories used to be an attractive jurisdiction to file taxes in, Mr. Speaker, and that is no longer the case. They have indicated that while the Northwest Territories is at 5 percent, other jurisdictions like B.C. at 4.5 percent, Ontario at 4 percent, and Alberta, the lowest at 3.5 percent, are clearly leading the pack now, Mr. Speaker.

In the past, I have also commented on thresholds for small business and suggested that we might want to look at our $200,000 per year taxable income threshold for small business and raise it to something more in line with $400,000 or so, Mr. Speaker.

At this time, I would like to urge the Minister to come forward quickly with tax relief for small business. I think we all know about the Alberta advantage but, Mr. Speaker, let us make sure that we do not get too familiar with the Northwest Territories disadvantage that they are currently talking about with regard to small business tax rates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that affects our seniors population in the North. Mr. Speaker, I thought this would be particularly appropriate at this time, as just last week, during Seniors' Week, we spoke so eloquently in this House about how this government should fully support our seniors.

The issue I wish to draw your attention to, Mr. Speaker, is the issue of property tax relief for seniors. Mr. Speaker, senior citizens and disabled persons may apply for property tax relief under the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act. Mr. Speaker, in tax-based communities such as Hay River, MACA provides 50 percent of the property tax relief and local governments in the communities provide the other 50 percent. In other communities, MACA provides property tax relief directly to the eligible property owners.

Mr. Speaker, a concern was raised to me recently that a senior citizen in Hay River, and a constituent of mine, who had reached the age of 65 had to pay the full amount of the property tax for the coming year. This was due to the fact that his spouse was still working.

Mr. Speaker, the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Act basically states that if one member of the household is working, then this family member is not dependent on the senior citizen, thus the senior citizen does not require any support from this government to pay his bills.

Mr. Speaker, this act was written back in 1989 and does not reflect the true cost of living today or the cost of maintaining a home. I suggest that this act be changed. If we need to justify the change, Mr. Speaker, we can borrow a line used by our honourable Finance Minister. When looking for support to increase the BCC loan limit from $1 million to $2 million, he said, "This limit has been in place for roughly ten years. Accordingly, it is time for change."

Mr. Speaker, residents in the nine NWT communities do not pay property tax. I think it is inappropriate for this government to penalize senior citizens who live in tax-based communities by making them pay the full amount of their property tax. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I as well would like to speak on the strategies, planning and implementation of those by our government.

Mr. Speaker, it is an issue I have raised in the past and I have told my constituents that we have heard enough of studies, strategy and planning. It is time to put some dollars on the road so we can get something done.

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of examples of our strategies and planning where, on one hand, we say we are going to get some input from you because we have this Intergovernmental Forum Secretariat or this consultant to do some work. On the other hand, we are giving money away.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, many people will take that money. Mr. Speaker, it is an ongoing problem from past governments and we seem to have gotten into the habit that I consider to be a bad one. We are spending before we know exactly what the map is going to look like.

A couple of examples, Mr. Speaker. The Cuff report is coming out near the end of this month, days after the Social Agenda Conference. We have an Intergovernmental Forum Secretariat that is looking at regional reorganization and what the government will look like after self-government starts to take hold in the Northwest Territories. On the other hand, we already have departments implementing some of their own plans.

Mr. Speaker, another example. Yesterday, during committee of the whole review, there was discussion on some expenditures put forward by this government that were not supplementary. One is in the area of transportation, and it referred to strategy 7 in the Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy, Mr. Speaker. It was on airport planning and development.

Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity last night to go through the Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy. It is quite specific. It identifies what strategy 7 is. Mr. Speaker, strategy 7 is strictly highways. It lists the highways up and down the valley and says we are going to do work on those highways and prepare for the development of the Northwest Territories.

There are a number of other issues that were identified under the Non-Renewable Resource Development Strategy as reasons for expenditures. Mr. Speaker, that strategy has not been fully adopted. It was shopped to the federal government and we have maybe one percent of a down payment, as it was called, in this past winter's session.

Mr. Roland, the time for your Member's statement has expired.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays, Mr. Roland. You may conclude.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while we have little more than two years left in this government, we have talked about what we want to do for residents of the Northwest Territories. I urge this government to now start taking concrete action. Action that will see resources going to residents of the Northwest Territories, whether it is front-line workers or businesses, to take advantage of the resource development that is going on. With that, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions to the appropriate Minister. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Item 3, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Mr. Nitah, the time for your Member's statement has ended. Perhaps you could just repeat that last paragraph if you get unanimous consent.

Thank you. The honourable Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There being no nays, Mr. Nitah, you may conclude that last paragraph for sure.

Mahsi, Mr. Nitah. Item 3, Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Doug Hutton, who is the president of the King Motion Picture Corporation of Edmonton, a video and television production company that has quite a history of northern production. Welcome to the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Welcome, Mr. Hutton. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize in the gallery Mr. Ken Laviolette, band councillor for the Salt River First Nations, and Henry Beaver, the negotiator for the Salt River First Nations. It is a pleasure to have them in the Assembly today. Thank you.

-- Applause