Thank you, Madam Chair. The biggest concern that I have is this large amount between the projected amount and what we’re currently collecting in corporate income tax. Can the Minister indicate a little bit more detail on how we are calculating that number and why is there such a big discrepancy in that number?

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Aumond.

Okay. For my clarification, the numbers that we’re looking at the past have a large payment made to the federal government. Is that correct?

My next question would be: If we don’t attain that number, what affect does it have to the bottom line, I guess, and how do we recover if we don’t meet that level?

Madam Chair, I hope that those projections come close to those numbers, because if they don’t, we’re going to be in difficulty.

My next question would be towards the other taxation indicators which all show an increase. To expect the economy in the Northwest Territories to be picking up currently, is that one of the reasons we are expecting increases in all the taxation areas?

Thanks, Mr. Bouchard. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I share the Member’s assessment that things are on the way up. In the Northwest Territories there is increased activity in a number of areas. We tried to capture that in the budget address. The revenues indicate, would corroborate, that there is that type of positive upswing. Thank you.

My last question is about the grant from the Government of Canada and the increase. Can the Minister indicate what the main reason is for getting a larger increase? Is it because of the increase in population? Is it the way they calculate it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Mr. Aumond.

My next question is: What are we expecting in the future years? Have we leveled off the base now? Do we understand where the calculations will be? Is it an annual thing, a negotiation with the federal government as we go along? These numbers fluctuate up and down. Do we have an agreement that is going to give us a base to go forward?

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The agreement we currently have is to 2018-19. It’s tied to a number of escalators. They are adjusted as you move forward, things like provincial and territorial expenditures, tax efforts. For example, if there’s a significant downturn in all the provinces and territories and they all cut back spending, there is going to be a consequential negative impact on our arrangement, as well, because one of the escalators in there is tied to that factor in the provinces. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My questions are somewhat in line with the Member for Hay River North. The recent population statistics showed that we increased by a whopping two people lately and we’re still trying to find where those two people are. Given the fact that population is relatively flat and taxation is based on a per capita increase in the area we see here, where is the department getting their calculations or their crystal ball, so to speak, that we’re going to be seeing an influx of people? Our statistics show, like I said, an increase of just two people in the last census.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. When I indicated that it looks like things from an economic point of view are improving, one of the assumptions in that is, for example, if you look at the Sahtu, there’s a huge amount of activity. If that oil play in fact advances past the exploration stage, I believe we will see an increase in population. As the other diamond mine

goes on stream, there’s potential there as well. We have six, seven, eight, as the Premier and the Minister of ITI have laid out, significant projects on the drawing board in the pipeline for development, all of which would not be able to be totally staffed using northern forces. So we’ll bring people here. So there are those opportunities. Thank you.

I share the optimism of the Cabinet in terms of population growth. I guess we’ll see when the dust settles.

The line entry called investment pool cost recoveries, we’re seeing a significant drop from the main estimates of 2011-12. Can we get some explanation as to why we’re seeing such a recovery and what exactly does that definition entail? Thank you, Madam Chair.

This line is tied to the winding down of the Opportunities Fund. Thank you.

Speaking about the Opportunities Fund, we know that that fund has wound down. This fund had an opportunity of people borrowing against it, or I guess we had the ability to borrow with it, to the tune of about 1.45 percent. With the increase in the borrowing limit, this increased our ability to borrow for large infrastructure. Can the Minister allude to what was the total value in terms of dollars available us with this Opportunities Fund when it was in our control? I’ll ask that first question, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Kalgutkar.