Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to deal with his motion today. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent to deal with your motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The motion is to support the Mackenzie Valley pipeline development.

WHEREAS the development of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline will be underway during the life of the 15th Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the Northwest Territories resources should be developed in a manner that provides for the greatest benefit to all parties, including northern people, communities, businesses, governments and industry;

AND WHEREAS the construction of a natural gas pipeline through the Mackenzie Valley area will support the development of additional infrastructure which will benefit NWT communities;

AND WHEREAS the development of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline must occur in a sustainable manner that ensures the protection of our environment;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that the 15th Legislative

Assembly is committed to working cooperatively in support of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline;

AND FURTHER that this Legislative Assembly is committed to working cooperatively and endorses the efforts of the Premier and Executive Council to seek with aboriginal governments and the Government of Canada the control of our natural resources and the sharing amongst northern governments of resource revenues arising from development;

AND FURTHERMORE that this Legislative Assembly urges the Government of the Northwest Territories, in partnership with the aboriginal governments, to continue support for the development of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline;

AND FURTHERMORE that the Government of the Northwest Territories seeks to maximize the benefits and mitigate the adverse impacts to NWT residents and communities that will result from the development of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

----Applause

Item 16, motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that Bill 6, an Act to Amend the Payroll Tax Act, 1993 and the Income Tax Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would amend the Payroll Tax Act, 1993 to increase the rate of the payroll tax. The bill would also amend the Income Tax Act. Alternative versions of the amendments to the Income Tax Act are included because Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 2, also amends the provisions of the Income Tax Act relating to individual income tax. Both versions of the amendments would amend the Income Tax Act to decrease individual income tax rates for persons with taxable incomes less than $66,492 and to increase the amount that an individual may deduct from his or her tax payable. The second version would also clarify the provisions of the Income Tax Act relating to individual income tax in the event that An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 2, is not enacted. The changes to both the Payroll Tax Act, 1993 and the Income Tax Act would take effect on January 1, 2005. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been considerable discussion already in this Assembly, Mr. Speaker, about a number of tax measures that this government has proposed, a couple of which we have already approved and two of which have yet to come. I've already said that I think the government has taken a positive step in putting these together in a bundle, so to speak, as the Minister of Finance did in his budget address. This helps everyone understand and comprehend what we've got ahead of us and what this government's plans are for how to manage our fiscal situation.

The principle of the payroll tax is fairly straightforward. It is a move that is within our limited authority to generate some of our own revenue by which we can get some of the wealth that is being earned by non-resident workers and keep that here. It is amply justified, Mr. Speaker, because in earning their living or part of their living here in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, those workers use much of the infrastructure such as airports, water, sewer and roads. All services, such as our Workers' Compensation Board network, for instance, our hospital and health care service system are here to help and support them. But through the normal taxation process we normally have, there is no recourse or way of getting some measure of payment or investment from them. So there's a very straightforward equity and balancing exercise as relates to how to get some of the wealth from southern-based workers to stay here in the North.

Where it becomes problematic is because it has to be equally applied. We have to have counterbalancing measures in our system so that northern residents who are assessed by the payroll tax are not penalized. Herein lies the problem for small and big businesses to administer this. For salaried workers who have to forego what would otherwise be discretionary money that they would get in their pay cheques, at least in part, are not determined until we all file our tax returns at the end of the year.

So we have these inequities to work out. By proposing that we're going to be doubling the payroll tax, but are we potentially doubling the administrative headaches? Are we potentially doubling the hit that we northerners are going to take on our disposable incomes because of this tax? I'm not going to get into a discussion or reasoning about that.

My plea here, as I stand here in favour of the principle of the bill, Mr. Speaker, is to ask the Minister and the government to make the fullest possible communication plan on this bill so that when a committee goes forward to assess the public's view of this they are well informed, they have all the information before them, and while they may not agree with the idea of this tax, at least there is a solid base of information and understanding of what it does and what the impact is going to be on them.

With that, I think this is a progressive measure, but there is yet a communication effort that remains before we can, I guess as committee, effectively bring this bill back and report on it potentially or hopefully in the May session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To the principle of the bill.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 6 has had second reading and accordingly the bill stands referred to committee. Item 19, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Item 20, report of Committee of the Whole, Item 21, third reading of bills; Bill 2, an Act to Amend the Income Tax Act. Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for North Slave, that Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 2 has had third reading. Item 21, third reading of bills. Mr. Roland.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 3 has had third reading. Item 21, third reading of bills. Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2003-2004, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 4 has had third reading. Item 21, third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, I understand that her honour, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, is prepared to enter the Chamber and give assent to bills. Mr. Clerk, would you escort the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories into the Chamber?