Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Premier for those remarks.

I’d say we probably need some innovation in our revenue generation. Does the Premier agree that a fully functional and self-representing voluntary, non-profit sector is a key component to government effectiveness?

Mr. Speaker, of course. In every one of our communities, especially in our smaller communities, where the services aren’t as abundant and we don’t have the benefit of all the groups that can collect in the larger centres, it’s very important.

We’ve worked with Municipal and Community Affairs in those areas, trying to strengthen our

relationships, and in fact, as mentioned, we’re going to try to step up in a number of areas.

Does that mean we can just come up with money to match an existing process? We haven’t done that in this budget. If Members want to continue the existing process, then through the business plan that’s an option. We work with Members, and if there’s support for that initiative, then that can be reviewed.

But going ahead in this budget, we’re setting out a process where we have as the GNWT the existing relationship, and we're trying to see where we can improve and strengthen that. That is a commitment from this government.

Thank you, Mr. Roland.

I’d like to take a moment to welcome our guests in the gallery today. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings.

The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s well known that some of the problems of our budget are due to the fact that we have revenue problems. Revenue problems are directly related to our corporate taxes and how we receive them.

Our budget clearly outlines that we’re losing about 50-some million dollars in corporate taxes this year. My question to the Minister of Finance is: what is he doing on revenue options? What is he doing to put new revenue options on the table for the Territories to go forward so we can make up for these ups and downs in our revenue stream?

Thank you, Mr.

Hawkins. The

honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad, obviously, that the Member has looked at the Budget Address I gave a number of weeks ago. I talked about coming out with a paper that would address potential new revenue options. Once we go to committee and look at where things are sitting now and what options are out there, we'll take that paper out to the people and businesses of the Northwest Territories and get a response from there and look at where we will put some focus and energy.

There is a whole number of areas that can be looked at for potential revenue generation. The thing we have to look at is how much of that spin-off

has a negative impact on the cost of living of individuals and businesses in the Northwest Territories.

Mr.

Speaker, I appreciate the

answer, but it didn’t have any details. When are we going to see any options here that are laid out? One of the challenges I have to face day to day if — if — I support this budget, of course, is that I have to face people who ask me: What did the government do to potentially raise revenues in some form or another to help avoid some of these cuts? It’s not just about the layoffs; they’re closing off programs.

Mr.

Speaker, as I stated,

we’re preparing a paper to go forward to committee. Once we have committee agreement that we can take the paper out to the public, we’re going to do that. By going into detail now, if I start running down the track and listing carbon taxes, listing a higher corporate tax, listing a higher payroll tax, a tobacco tax and so on and so forth, I’ll be accused of making decisions by myself.

Mr. Speaker, part of the challenges I’m having here with this issue is the fact that if I look through the budget, you don’t even see your sin taxes challenged in this budget. Why weren’t sin taxes raised in this particular budget? Why aren’t there new initiatives on the table now going into this budget year?

Mr. Speaker, let me refresh the Member’s memory. When we talked about this two-year plan of trying to live within our means — reduce in a number of areas, reinvest in areas — we made a commitment that in ’09–10 we’re going to find an additional $10 million a year to add to the revenue base. Maybe the Member can recollect that now and remember that we had a discussion about coming up with another $10 million.

Further to that, in the Budget Address I said that we would look at new revenue options and be prepared to come back and go out to the people of the Northwest Territories so that they can have their say in this area as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Roland. Final

supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, we get enough at the cost of the Minister, so certainly if we get a dig now and again, that’s okay too.

The issue really is: when are we going to deal with this issue? The fact is that there are no revenue-generating initiatives in this. We’ve heard: We’re going to think about it. We plan to do it. We hope we’ll get $10 million in our revenue stream. But people are asking: When? From my point of view, I

need to know when we’re going to do this. Mr. Speaker, will the Finance Minister tell us today when we will see this discussion paper?

Mr. Speaker, again, for the memory of the Member so he can clearly share that with the people he’s spoken to about taxes, we said we would raise $10 million more in ’09–10. We shared that with Members.

As well, through the Budget Address I committed that we would look at going out for public consultation this summer to get input from the people and businesses of the Northwest Territories on new revenue-generating options.

We’re prepared to come to Members. In fact, we hope we will be able within the next week or two, depending on Members’ schedules, to put a document in front of Members so they can look at it. But if the Member has ideas for new taxes right now, maybe he can share them with us.

Thank you, Mr.

Roland. Item

9,

written questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr.

Hawkins. The

honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 6 of Orders of the Day.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 6 on the order paper, recognition of visitors in the gallery.

Unanimous consent granted.

Return to item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, honourable colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to welcome some friends from Goring, London, England, Janet and Richard Goodenough, and to also welcome Ann Little from Yellowknife. Thank you and welcome.

It gives me pleasure to recognize the other Mr.

Abernethy in our gallery, our

Member’s father. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Item 10, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.