Thank you, Madam Speaker. I‘ve talked about the bafflegab of our Minister of Finance with respect to our Heritage Fund contributions and I’m sorry to say it continues. Because of the confusion and obscure ways that he chooses to hide the facts, the Minister has once again left the public with the wrong impression about our planned contributions to the Heritage Fund.

In today’s News/North a reporter noted the Minister’s commitment to contributing 25 percent of our net fiscal benefit to the Heritage Fund. The reporter then quite logically does the calculations: an estimated $60 million in net fiscal benefits; 25 percent, or $15 million, to go to Aboriginal governments; 25 percent, or $15 million, to go to the Heritage Fund. But alas, no. In the fine print of the Minister’s bafflegab, he means 25 percent of the net fiscal benefit leftovers after the 25 percent to Aboriginal governments is deducted.

In plain speak, the Minister means 18.75 percent, or $11 million of the net fiscal benefit will go into the Heritage Fund. This is a loss to our children’s future of $3.75 million per year from now going forward.

People may indeed ask why the Minister purposely ignores their desire for 25 percent of the net fiscal benefit to be contributed to the Heritage Fund. They may wonder why the Minister insists on using 25 percent when it is actually 18.75 percent of the net fiscal benefit. All I can say is that these are imminently reasonable questions for the public to ask. Mahsi.