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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is $1.4 million annually, but we are having a surplus of $160 million. Mr. Speaker, I did not hear any commitment from the Minister in his answer as to whether or not he would look at the question of reducing the burden of the high cost of fuel. Do I have that commitment? Could the Minister commit to this House to do that, Mr. Speaker?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I will certainly look at it. I will look at any changes that Members suggest with regard to tax decreases, increases, whatever it may be. Mr. Speaker, I will look at that issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final short supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Just to clarify, Mr. Speaker, may I also have the Minister make a commitment to provide us with the reason why our price is almost twice as much as the one in Edmonton?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will have the department take a look at the reasons for the increase. I would have to say that the response we will provide will have to be based on some of our own assessments of the reasons because they are varied, and we may not be able to get access to all of the specific details of exactly what the companies charge for transportation costs, what the mark-up is here and so on. I will provide the best information I can. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in regard to my Member's statement on the water and sewage subsidy program, my question is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. There has been no increase with respect to the formulas that are used. As we know, last year there was an extraordinary request for funding because of cost overruns with regard to the water and sewage program in Fort McPherson due to freeze-ups that occurred.

I would like to ask the Minister, when will the community see an increase on the actual costs associated with delivering the water and sewage subsidy program?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my department advises me that in 2001-2002 Fort McPherson received an increase of $180,000 in anticipation of higher costs for the operation of the water delivery system. Further to that, the previous Minister in December committed to the community that they would assist the community with any further funding needs, if they were in fact identified. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with regard to the information provided by the Minister, it is clear that the water and sewage subsidy program is set at $318,000. Looking at the information I have in front of me, there is no change with regard to that program for the next four years into 2003-2004. I would like to ask the Minister again, what does the community have to do to see an increase in the water and sewage subsidy program to the cost of actually delivering that program?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the years 2002-2003 and onward the department has not identified the figure because the figure has not been confirmed yet as to what that will be on an annual basis. We are estimating anywhere between $200,000 to $400,000 a year, but we will need confirmation of that to put that to the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to realize that when we do implement new systems in communities where we used to have a piped-in system and now we have a water delivery system, there is going to be an increase in costs. I would like to ask the Minister, how soon can you have that information available for the communities so they can hopefully see an increase in delivering that program on behalf of this government?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member mentioned there have been a number of problems with the new system, including the operation of trucks and the Department of Public Works is in the process now of identifying those costs that were just start-up costs. Rather than just coming up with a figure at this time, they are trying to analyze what were actually start-up costs and what were actually working out the bugs. I am hoping that once the new system is fully workable as far as Public Works is concerned, we would then be able to give the community an estimate, through MACA, as to what it would cost to operate that system on an annual basis. MACA would then bring that forward to the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I definitely would like to see the information that has been collected. There have been cost overruns on this project in the past and I think it is important that we keep a handle on what these costs are. I would like to ask the Minister if he will share the information that he mentioned earlier, the information that has been collected, with myself and the Hamlet of Fort McPherson so that we can follow these costs to see what we can do to improve that service.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for MACA, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can commit to bringing that information forward as soon as I have it. Thank you.