Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reason it’s down is there has been a drop in liquor sales from what was estimated the previous year. There are a number of factors that play into that. One is as we’ve looked at it; there is a reduction in liquor sales in some of the establishments. So that is one of the areas that is causing that to drop, as well as we can say maybe some of the programs that are out there are starting to have some effect on the consumption. Right now we are seeing a drop in the sales and are going forward on that basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as part of our program when you go through reduction scenarios, these savings are taken into consideration as we lower our budget numbers. For the 2003-04 year into the 2004-05 there was a reduction target set, as well as in this budget exercise we’re going through. So we don’t hang onto the money. What money we don’t use goes back into the consolidated revenue fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess, just to be clear, that the Alberta Liquor Commission -- and that comparison is being mentioned right now -- is different than the AADAC commission or the commission on alcohol and drug use in Alberta. As a government, we would have to look at what we need to do and commit to working with our partners as an overall government. What we have to show here on this page 3-31, when you look at the surplus that comes out of the liquor revolving fund, that goes directly into the consolidated revenue fund. So this fund does not stay there and continue to grow. It...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman as the Department of Finance looked at the cost for insurance and providing the level of coverage that we initially put in place, in 2003 an actuarial report was done to look at the cost-benefit analysis of providing the existing level of services that was there. It was felt at that time and the numbers that we had run through, affirmed that, in fact, changing the way we did our insurance and increasing the deductible would make sense. A part of that was also developing the risk loss management side of things and to ensure that while we were making this...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, as we mentioned earlier in the year on educational awareness on some of the activities, the Liquor Licensing Board is where this would fall under now. The Liquor Commission doesn’t have a very big education role in a sense of what happens. It is something we could look at and look at how some of these things should flow. As we go forward, should we be as a government overall, or should it be within the Liquor Commission and start reviewing that as to how do we further educate or provide information out there? But the roles right now are very limited in...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, what I have laid out in my opening remarks is the transfer of liability coverage from the health board authorities to the government policy. That is a change that would see an overall savings for the boards. In the other matter of insurance and liability for non-government organizations, for the most part our policy doesn’t include non-government organizations. There may be a couple of exceptions, but I am aware…For example, the example that Ms. Lee has used in the area of shelters; the government funds, through it’s contribution agreements to non...

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are a number of areas that we do work with in conjunction with other departments; for example, Health and Social Services, in some of the awareness areas, as well, in general. For example, the liquor stores that are operational do labelling on the bags, as well in the Northwest Territories we have bottles that are labelled to make people aware that consuming alcohol, especially while pregnant, is not a good thing. So we do that bit of work.

The other area of education and training, as the Member touched on, is in the area with the Liquor Licensing Board which is...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, again, the Department of Finance’s main function is to try and ensure that we have enough revenues for the government to operate. Within the FMBS, that is where a lot of the spending decisions, the policy of government becomes formulated and also that of Cabinet. Our main goal within the Department of Finance is to try to ensure that we have as much revenue as possible to run the programs and services we have at the same time as the Department of Finance would try to see some of our other critical areas, as I have highlighted, on the insurance area and so on...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the initial plan is one of the federal government's. They have a structured repayment plan that every jurisdiction would operate under in the area of taxes collected on behalf of jurisdictions. This one’s specifically the repayment plan from the Canadian Revenue Agency. It is a three-year repayment plan base that uses population figures. The first two years, because of our population the amount is very low, but the third year is full payment. We have yet to finalize that with federal Finance. We’re aware again of the conditions that do apply. That’s why...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The number of comments Ms. Lee has made with regard to the budget exercise as we go through; one, is from within the Department of Finance. We like to accept the opportunity for any kind words that Members share with us, but the changes the Member has spoken to about other expenses being now included in the budget document were part of the FMBS process. I think it’s again listening to what Members want and trying to accommodate what we can through this process.

The Member is also right about the quality of life issues that residents face and this budget process, but I...