Floyd Roland
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the arrangements we have now with tax-based municipalities are such that they have advantages in dealing with developing lots in their communities through financing and so on. This measure we've taken, although small, is an initial step to try to help the general taxation communities with their ability to develop some of those lots and encourage some development in those small communities that are right now not feeling much from the spin-off effects of other development around the territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am told that that comment on the bottom reflects the fact that the people that deliver, for example, the insurance premiums and so on are not included in that amount. Maybe for the sake of getting accurate information so that I don't get it wrong and confuse Members, I'll have Ms. Melhorn give that detail.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, through the exercise, if we receive new revenues we would have to change our estimates within Finance to show that there are increased revenues that came forward, and then it is the direction of government if in fact we want to set that money aside for future activities or for a potential part of repaying of whether it be a deficit or expenditure. Again, that would require approval of the House. Any money that comes and flows in has to be accounted for whether it is just in revenue in establishing a reserve that would pay out a certain amount. We’ve got a...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Liquor Act review would be a substantial one. It hasn’t been changed for a number of years. There was an exercise done through the 12th Assembly and the changes were not incorporated at that time. That bill did not proceed, so we are looking at a fairly extensive review through this process. There hasn’t been any money allocated at this time for that review. Through the previous Assembly, there was some money spent on doing the initial work to look at what could be incorporated in that. That amount has been financed from within internal allocations...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We did look at a number of tax revenue options and fee options. We’ve gone forward with a number of them in this budget so that we can have revenue come to this government during this upcoming fiscal year. The areas of the cigarette and alcohol taxes and fees were looked at. We are highest already, for example, on the cigarette taxes compared to other jurisdictions right now. We are also amongst the highest in the alcohol products markups for the Government of the Northwest Territories. So those were not looked at as areas of increases. They were increased in two...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In the area of other expenses for this budget would fall under…Travel is one of the areas that's in there. For the detail, I will have Ms. Melhorn provide some of that information.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess my focus is from the start when we took office and moving forward, previous expenditure patterns by government were made on their assumptions of what they might expect and where they could possibly end up and hoping for new sources of revenue. The amount -- I believe you will find it in the budget address -- that the gap between when we first took office, the potential deficit we might have gotten if we didn’t change anything and closing that gap from almost $80 million on our revenue side versus the expenditure side to bring it down to where we would come in...
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No. The fines that would fall under here are by the Liquor Licensing Board that they would impose at their hearings. This is what is incorporated here, not when an individual goes to court. This is through the Liquor Licensing Board and the hearings they have held and when they put fines on establishments. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding of the process is that when the employee is going to leave, they inform their immediate supervisor in the department of whatever department they are working for, and that initiates the process of getting the paperwork done, then it flows through to FMBS. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The insurance amounts do cover health boards, education boards. Communities have their own system, and that's the $1.9 million that the Member referred to. That is within Municipal and Community Affairs, and that's to cover their changing insurance program and working with the Association of Communities. So that is included in that, and you will be able to get more detail on that through the Municipal and Community Affairs department when we go through their draft mains.
Again, for non-government organizations on the insurance side of our program, normally they...