Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We fully recognize that there is a process ahead of us here as we sign the Devolution Agreement. The money and resources won't flow until probably 2015-16, that we have time for the debate and discussion about devolution and all facets of it including the resource revenue sharing.
I would comment, I'm continually surprised by some of the Member's opposite that talk about the budgeting process we have, which is the most comprehensive and inclusive in the country, and make it sound like a budget appears in this House that is totally untouched by them with no involvement and is not their document, and that every budget that has been through this House that I can recollect has pretty well been done on unanimous support at the end of the day.
We do have a very inclusive budgeting process. I've committed as Finance Minister, from the start of this Assembly, that we would do budget consultations, and we'll do that again this fall. Clearly, this will be one of the items on the agenda, one of the main big ticket items. Since the last budget, we'll have signed the Devolution Agreement. We'll have the resource revenue issue to have those discussions.
While some say this is just a general start of the process, there are some very specific targets in there: 25 percent, 25 percent, 25 percent, 25 percent. The Member for Kam Lake indicated a Cabinet slush fund. I'm not sure what...
---Applause
I'm sorry. Let me stand corrected.
---Laughter
Let the record show it was the Member for Range Lake. Give credit where credit is due for the comment about a Cabinet slush fund. The budget and the budget process we have is under enormous scrutiny, so I defy anybody to stand up and show me, because after all these years, 18 years, if there's a Cabinet slush fund, I'd like to know where it is, because we're constantly borrowing money to try to meet the demands of this House. There are those that would say 25 percent for one-time legislative priorities could be easily interpreted or construed to be pretty discretionary type of funding.
The commitment, of course, is budget consultation. We recognize that this is a start of a process. This motion, I believe, is somewhat premature, given the time ahead of us to sort this out through a more considered forum where we'd have more debate and discussion.
With those comments, I'll just note that since this is the direction of Cabinet, we will be abstaining.