Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland. I know everybody has been hearing a little bit more back room grumblings about the growing inequities in the employment within the mining industry of aboriginals and northerners; that the mining industry is reaching a point where they're just barely meeting their quota for northern employment. With the growing number of mines that are going to be opening in the future, I think this gap is going to keep growing. My question, Mr. Speaker, is that I've been hearing some concerns from some employees of these mining industries that some non-resident employees are taking advantage of our northern taxation policies. I know changes in these policies are also being hindered by the Government of Canada's taxation harmonization policy. That's why we're having a hard time recovering more dollars from non-resident employees and making it more fair and equitable for our northerners.
The issue I want to raise with the Minister is that I know that a lot of the non-resident employees of these mining companies are starting to take up residence just north of the NWT border in areas like Hay River, Enterprise and Fort Smith. That makes them qualify for these northern allowance benefits. Every two weeks there's a mass exodus going south after the shift changes. People are just taking addresses and filling them out on their application forms to the mines that are situated in these communities, which qualifies them for the northern benefit allowances.
I just want to ask the Minister what measures he is going to make to ensure that the northern allowance benefits are taken advantage of by northerners only, and not by southern employees who do not reside in the NWT on a full-time basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause