Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be supporting this motion. I think it is a good step, and I think it is a recognition that we still have to work a little harder to sharpen our pencils. As it has been said, I don’t really think that this burden is necessarily fair to be taken solely on the 15th Assembly’s shoulders, but unfortunately we have to make corrective actions. The Minister has quite clearly said that if we don’t take some steps we are going to be penalized by Canada. I think it is a good saw if we are taking corrective steps, and I think we need to go back to the drawing board and...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight conducted public reviews of Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, on March 25 and 26, 2004. The committee would like to thank all the witnesses for their submissions which were made on very short notice. The committee would also like to thank the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

The committee was very concerned about the short amount of time allowed for the public to review and respond to this bill. Members appreciate that there were special circumstances in this case due to the recent...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight conducted public reviews of Bill 3, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, No. 2, on March 25 and 26, 2004. The committee would like to thank all the witnesses for their submissions, which were made on very short notice. The committee also thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

As I indicated in my comments on Bill 2, the committee was very concerned about the short amount of time allowed for the public to review and respond to these tax increases.

Bill 3 proposed to raise the personal income tax...

Thank you, Madam Chair. This budget, or I should say deficit, has been compared to an inheritance problem. I guess we could blame the 14th Assembly until we are blue in the face, but unfortunately we can’t give back this deficit issue. I would love to say thanks but no thanks, but I am having a difficult time exactly which way I am going to go. I mean I look at the struggle wherein if we don’t raise it we are going to lose more money. So I think of the struggle as Canada has got a noose around our neck, and the more we struggle by trying to be competitive, the tighter it gets, and it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my topic today is to ask an obvious question. What is the BIP? It’s the business incentive policy, Mr. Speaker, but really what does that mean? It is to create a level playing field whereby we formally acknowledge that, tucked well within the beauty of our northern fresh air, our friendly-spirited environment, the government recognizes simple factors that need to be considered; obvious factors, Mr. Speaker, such as a jug of milk here costs more than it does in Calgary, and a kilowatt isn’t as cheap as it is in Edmonton. Mr. Speaker, labour comes at a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the Minister could elaborate what we get for $95,000 out of this $245,000 breakdown. We pay $100,000 for someone to negotiate on our behalf; $50,000 we pay for someone to do research. If you could elaborate on what the $95,000 gives the territorial government for service. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am now prepared to switch topics. I appreciate the suggestion that I think I understood, which is it's a little bit of a promotion within the department, which I think lends a lot of weight to future growth as well as the employees' satisfaction to see one of their own working through the system. That's the way I understood that, which we could probably talk for hours about but that's not why we're here, although I will lend credit to that plan. It's good to see.

The next question if the Minister could explain for me and on behalf of the rest of the Members, they...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Actually, this is quite an unusual experience. Normally my time flies by. This is nice; I have lots of time here. Can the Minister supply me with those numbers I was requesting about last year’s travel costs? Can I have the ministry breakout as well as the negotiators breakout? How often, before I release the mike, do these negotiating teams travel at, if I may boldly say, $768,000 worth of travel? If the Minister could explain that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the Minister could be so kind in pointing it out, he did say he wasn't sure; I'm not sure either. I would appreciate if the Minister could point that out with the title. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just before I leave this issue, if the Minister could explain to me why training couldn't have been provided in the Fort Simpson area to meet the needs of this position. Thank you, Madam Chair.