Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to respond to the Minister’s statement on the Heritage Fund contributions. I would like to begin by thanking my colleague Ms. Bisaro for stating many of the shortcomings of where we are at right now with regards to developing the Heritage Fund.

With regard to the Minister’s statement, I think pulling the wool over our eyes would be the most appropriate thing that comes to mind here. The net fiscal benefit resulting from our collection of resource royalties as a result of devolution is booked, although dollars are slow to flow.

The Minister has repeatedly claimed to have included 5 percent of the net fiscal benefit in our 2014-15 budget, but a quick scan reveals on page 5-14 of the Department of Finance budget, that in fact is all he allocated is $250,000, the same as last year and far short of the $2 million to $3 million that 5 percent would be.

The resource royalty collection that the Minister has booked for 2014-15, this fiscal year under discussion, is $120 million. Page 12-9 of the Industry, Tourism and Investment budget shows this clearly, of which we expect $60 million will go to the federal government as per the agreement, leaving $60 million for the GNWT booked during again fiscal year 2014-15.

The Minister is allocating 25 percent of the net fiscal benefit to Aboriginal governments during the 2014-15 budget. That is entirely appropriate because we are booking the revenues. This amount is $15 million, as clearly laid out on page 5-18 of the Department of Finance budget under discussion. Yet the Minister here is grandly offering, in his statement earlier today, to meet Members’ request for 25 percent into the Heritage Fund for this 2014-15 budget year under discussion by providing 25 percent in the 2015-16 year, a year that is not under discussion here. This is obtuse and is further evidence of a lack of forthright dealings to address this issue.

Further, this is absolute bafflegab, apparently meant to confuse and misdirect us into accepting this grand offer, which addresses his needs, not that of Regular Members.

In 2014-15 we are booking $120 million in royalties. We are booking 25 percent of the GNWT’s net fiscal benefit, $15 million to be paid to our Aboriginal partners.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted