Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would refer that to the Minister of Health and Social Services for that detail.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again I would have to disagree with using an average number of saying every taxpayer in between a bracket of $66,000 of taxable income to $108,000 of taxable income would be paying that much. The Member is right; there will be a number of people paying between $7.54 a year to $100 a year. Again, that fluctuates in between that area. So the more income you make above that taxable limit, you will end up paying more. I agree with the Member, there's going to be a higher impact for those with higher incomes. But, again, just saying an average number, I would have to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. It went from 14 percent to 12 percent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the draft main estimates that we have just dealt with identifies approximately $8.1 million as the total figure we are counting on. The bulk of those increases that we have been dealing with are based on the rate increases that have come across the board. So we are hoping now that we have come across those and those increases have now been put in the system to be fairly stable. Again, there are a number of factors that would come into play depending on the number of customers that would come in, new customers coming to it and the usage of power. The...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, looking at the big picture and potential impacts as a result of this increase and some of the comments the Member said about our public service within the Government of the Northwest Territories, right now the Government of the Northwest Territories, through its own staff and through staff who are hired through the health boards and education boards, we're paying in the area of $400 million a year in wages and benefits to those employed with the Government of the Northwest Territories and delivering the programs and services for us. So when you look at...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, with two percent, based on our estimates we would raise $8 million on an annual basis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are estimating for 2004-05, $7.694 million.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct to an extent on the impact of the tax initiatives that have come before this Assembly, this being the second of three tax measures we, as a government, have identified in my budget address as well as in our revenue picture that we put forward to the committee. The payroll tax, which just got first reading today, does change more, depending on your income. Again, it would be using a certain amount of income and we could come up with examples. The way the tax is calculated, it’s a progressive system. Each bracket is taxed at a...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have Ms. Melhorn give you that detail.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is correct that with the settlement of negotiations and if an agreement is gained from all parties, the final figure would have to come forward through a supp. Right now the existing dollars we have identified are on the existing rates. So we would have to come forward with a supp to identify that. Thank you.