Kevin A. Menicoche

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.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Does the Minister have the answer to the question previously when the tax rate was at 14 percent, what was our revenue from the corporate income taxes?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am in favour of raising the rate, but there is one thing in the Minister's opening statement that kind of interested me about developing alternatives to the current approach to the tax effort. I was just wondering what the Minister meant with that. Sometimes I get the feeling that it's up to us to come with unique solutions to our fiscal problems, but perhaps the government is going to have to do their own thinking as well. I'm just wondering if there are some alternatives that they have been contemplating, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, that's my immediate concern, is to keep as many PYs in our region as possible. I thank the Minister for his answers. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Perhaps the Minister can just let me know how many active positions are in Yellowknife with regard to petroleum products.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the gallery today, we have a young man I spoke about in my Member’s statement, Mr. Arthur Lafferty; his mother, Christina Holman; his partner, Tracy Covalenche; friends, Indira Bagg and Jake Waugh; and members of the recruitment team, Captain Frank Bird and Warrant Officer Floyd Powder. Mahsi cho.

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My thoughts on this are that I think the Premier committed some kind of quarterly reporting to us as well. The public will kind of look at this, and it may raise more questions in the public than we care to. Those are my comments on that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With regard to that specific area, it's something that Fort Liard is interested in. They were quite pleased with the results of the meetings and negotiations that happened in the fall, and they wish to keep the momentum in that area. That is just to advise the Minister with that regard. Thank you. That's all the comments I have, too, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister anticipated my next question, which basically was if they felt it served the GNWT to consolidate some of the activities in other departments. I was wondering if these other departments would feel sort of left out, I guess, if they did give up some of their direct input with Aboriginal Affairs in the negotiations. I was just wondering if there is interaction between the departments and sharing of information, or have there been any instances where they were tripping over each other.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just with respect to Aboriginal Affairs, I did note that there were some functions with regard to Aboriginal Affairs and many of the departments. I'm just wondering if the Minister was looking at that and somehow got some plan to kind of consolidate Aboriginal Affairs maybe under this very same department.