Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just a follow-up on the business plan cycle for the Minister responsible. I would also like to ask the Minister what commitments he will assure me that I can and will have active participation in the leading of the direction of our government in this business plan cycle, because I am given to understand that plans may already be under foot in terms of setting up the business plan for our July session. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about the GNWT budgeting process. Mr. Speaker, since I was elected MLA, I have not seen regular Members have direct input into the government budgeting process. I was thinking to myself last night about the process and possible ways to better improve the system so that regular Members have their direct input. As a regular Member, I can see that we are the ones who have to answer to the people of our ridings. As things are now, to do that, I have to ask questions relating to the budget process and how the government plans to allocate the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just with regard to this appropriation, I know there was some significant debate in the 13th and 14th assemblies, but I'm just wondering how the regular budget impacts a supp. Does the department have to plead their case that there's absolutely no money in their budget? We're just going through this whole exercise where we do think that there is some money in the departments' budget. So for the Minister, Mr. Chair, what qualifies departments to claim a supp?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the things that I have been telling the people back home and I'm going to be consistent about, is that it would be unrealistic to come to government and try to get more. We cannot get more programs, more services, but we can hang on to what we have. Unfortunately this tax is one of the ways we do it, and I would like to look in the long term as well. I do want to achieve a balanced budget and this is one of the ways we're going to have to do it.

This afternoon I had the pleasure of being at a presentation where one of our organizations that we support was in...

No more questions, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think one of the things when we were contemplating this early in our term here was that I had thought that when we suggested the two percent increase to the corporate income tax it would have helped us alleviate the personal income tax increase, which is something else I am going to have to think about later. Is it true that we are only going to be expecting to raise $8 million per annum with the two percent increase to our corporate income tax?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to recognize Mr. Frank Pope, a former Fort Simpson resident now residing in Inuvik. Thank you very much.

---Applause

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I won’t use up the committee’s time anymore in procedural matters. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have concluded my comments. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I am not going to support this motion only because I believe that by doing the increase the way it is suggested, that at least it maintains our ability to hang on to some of the programs and services that we do have. That is why I am in favour of it. Thank you.