Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While it may seem that a lot of that money that we're spending on government employees is somehow not getting to the people, I have to say that the biggest piece of that money goes to people who are working in the social fields. In education, the teachers, in health and social services, the health workers, the doctors, those people who are helping our people to have healthier lifestyles and to be able to become much more self-sufficient. So a lot of that money

goes toward helping our residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my contention all along with the growth and the size of government in the Northwest Territories is that it's not sustainable over the long run. I'm wondering if the government's ever done any types of calculations to try to figure out what that cost is going to be going forward, or we just continue to grow for the sake of growth, Mr. Speaker. Again, 44 percent of our annual budget is a big piece of that budget. I'd like the Premier to answer that question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me just say that we never have government growth just for the sake of growth. I don't know anybody who's ever put that argument forward to us and saying give me more staff just for the sake of more staff. We put the staff in positions where we feel they can help us in our government objectives. Those are shared with the Members and that's the purpose of our budget debates. So, Mr. Speaker, we're prepared to defend every position that we put in government. If we're not able to defend it successfully, we'll remove it from the budget.

Mr. Speaker, there isn't another government, possibly with the exception of Nunavut, who spends as much on the subsidies to residents as we do. Mr. Speaker, let me say that there is over $6,000 a year per resident that is lost to us in resource revenues. It goes to the federal government. We don't see it back. That's why resource revenue sharing, Mr. Speaker, has to be an important piece. That's worth at least $6,000 per resident that we don't see. That will continue to be our top priority. Of course, government spending is an issue to us all the time, as is reducing transportation costs and so on. But the big one is to get the money that is earned in the North to stay in the North to help our people here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Short supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wouldn't argue that with the Premier, but I think the other part of that is debatable in terms of government growth. It's very interesting if you watch the progression of the budget how certain departments might lose positions and then miraculously they're replaced with other positions. Any chance this government -- and I've watched it the last two-and-a-half years -- has had to make substantial changes in the size and growth of the public service, it's chose not to do it for whatever reason, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Premier, how do we tackle this issue? How do we get more money into people who actually need it on the ground? I'm not saying no to subsidies, Mr. Speaker, and I'd like the Premier to answer that question. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the direct answer to that is through our review of the main estimates. As we go through department by department, then I encourage all Members in this House to point out to us where we shouldn't be spending money. I know some of them do it and we listen and take that into consideration as we build our business plan. So, Mr. Speaker, its collective wisdom in this House that sets the strategic goals of this House. It's our wisdom here that sets what the budget will be. We all share that responsibility as we go through the main estimates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a lot of housing programs have emerged over the years and I'd like to direct my questions to the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation. We have programs for homeownership, emergency repairs, seniors' repairs, a number of different programs. Does the NWT Housing Corporation have a program directed specifically to the need of renovating your home to conserve energy? A lot of people have older homes and they could save a lot of money if they could replace their doors or windows, or upgrade their insulation. I'd like to know if there has ever been, or is being contemplated, any kind of a program for homeowners under the NWT Housing Corporation for energy conservation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Housing Corporation, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been able to access federal funding on the new affordable housing initiatives that we have in place. The federal government has announced $1.6 billion in which we were able to access $1.3 million of that to assist people doing retrofits in regards to energy-efficient upgrades to make their homes more energy efficient. So there is a national program that we're able to access through CMHC. We are now having those resources and we'll be able to not only assist people to improve their housing conditions, but also making them more energy efficient.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It wasn't too clear from the Minister's answer if that's a program that's being planned, or if it's already in place. If it's already in place, could the Minister please share with

us how people who need to upgrade their homes to make them more energy efficient could access those dollars? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have been working nationally with other Housing Ministers from across the country. As part of the plan nationally, we've heard announcements made in The National, from the federal government, that they are looking at assisting people to do retrofits, but it is application-based. The people who want these programs, to be able to access this funding, have to apply for it through the different programs that we have, and one of them you touched on was...(inaudible)...in regards to, and we also have emergency repair funding programs. Again, we are working with our federal colleagues to find new ways, and a lot of these dollars that I mentioned are coming by way of Bill C-48, which was $1.6 billion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement I made reference to the initiative of the South Slave housing district office investigating this concept of a high energy-efficient subdivision for which there is a prototype in Alberta. Prior to constructing the new homes that are on the books with the NWT Housing Corporation, would the Minister commit to following up on that concept, perhaps going to Okotoks, Alberta, with some of the representatives from the Hay River office looking at this before you embark on any more construction? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll definitely commit to the Member. We are interested in that type of construction, but also there is a national program which I believe we're allocated one unit as a test unit for the Northwest Territories, which is basically called zero-emission homes where it admits zero pollutants into the air. This is a program federally. We were allocated money to try one pilot project, but we have not received that money yet. So we are looking at that. So I'm willing to work with the Member to look at what's happening in Alberta. There are a lot of strides across the country to look at energy-efficient homes. So I'd like to leave that door open with the Member in Hay River to take a look at that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Oh, I'm sorry. That was my...