Bill Braden

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s a helpful discussion of the fluid realm in which policy is stated. I’m not challenging that Cabinet should have the authority at times to make exception. I think that is a valuable part of our institution. However, as the Premier said yesterday, where we can warrant it. Principles like this come into play very dramatically, especially when you’re a business person. So, Mr. Speaker, what I’d like to ask now is, what criteria are in place. Can the Minister put some shape and some form and some scope to what the criteria are that would guide Cabinet when making an...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With this additional half a million dollars, what does this bring the total cost of the power subsidy program to for this fiscal year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few days ago in this Assembly, we learned that Cabinet has approved the forgiveness of $800,000 in taxpayers’ money due to a business deal that we went into not working out. Even though we had adequate protection for the taxpayers’ money, Cabinet made a decision to forego it. In more recent days, we learned that a major policy of this government, the business incentive policy, was dodged in favour of an assumption that only a southern product could be brought into the North on an economic basis. The signals that our government is sending to the business community...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One more point. Is this going to be the last of the adjustments to fiscal 2003-04, or is it possible that we should anticipate yet another adjustment, another supp to the fiscal year that's closing out? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One question I think that's fairly brief. The Minister advises that we're going to be exceeding with this supp, the 2003-04 supplementary reserve, and as a result the operating result will be impacted by the million dollar difference. For the record, could the Minister advise what is the normal amount that we would start out with as a reserve? What has caused us to use it all up and, in fact, exceed it? Will the $50 million adjustment that we've just found out about actually change anything in the operating results? Thank you. I would appreciate some...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I can’t speak in favour of this. I am satisfied that the information presented to us justifies that 14 percent is a realistic tax level, and that the increase of two percent is not excessive. I guess what convinces me of this is that if we go from 12 to 13 percent we are just sort of tweaking and tinkering here, we are not giving ourselves the margin that I would be satisfied with to know that we are not going to continue to be in a negative revenue situation. I think 14 percent is realistic because it gives us a buffer. That being said, that is my comment. Thank...

How many corporations do we anticipate will be captured in this as large corporate taxpayers? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So now we have other information, other circumstances, and even though it's only the space of a couple of years we are, I feel, compelled to reverse that situation and go with the 14 percent rate.

I've said it several times before and it's a message, I think, that's worth repeating. Anything that our government does to increase the cost of living or the cost of doing business in the NWT has to be considered very, very carefully. There are so many other cost drivers here that we have no control over that put the crimp on people, on their families and on their...

Okay. How many, 30 hours? Twenty eight hours left in the month, Mr. Chairman. Okay. Alright, we still have a day to go, maybe we will play around with this one tomorrow.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Will the Minister recommend other than "industrial standards" for land that may be used for residential areas?

Will the Minister consult with the City of Yellowknife in the determination of reclamation standards?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.