Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance. I would like to ask the Minister when is the last time the northern residents’ tax deduction was increased and when was the last time our government made a formal appeal to the federal government for this kind of cost-of-living relief for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the first question, I can just indicate to the Member that in my time as Finance Minister, it’s not been an issue that I have broached with the Minister of Finance with the federal government, and it’s been, I think, probably three or four years since there has been any adjustment. Thank you.
As a government we have talked extensively about the cost of living in the Northwest Territories. When the GST was first introduced, we tried to have the GST exempted in the Northwest Territories. That did not work. That would have been an administratively burdensome thing for the federal government. The Minister regularly meets with his federal and territorial counterparts and, in fact, there’s a pan-territorial meeting on issues as well. Is this something, as a cost of living relief measure, that could be put on the agenda of the next meeting he attends with Finance Ministers or other Finance Ministers in the North particularly? Thank you.
In fact, the Premier is meeting with the northern Premiers in the next couple of weeks and has indicated that he will have that item on the agenda to have an initial discussion with his colleagues. Thank you.
Thank you very much for agreeing to have that on the agenda. In lead up to that discussion, would it be possible to do some research to see what kind of tax, by way of duty, the federal government, in fact, walked away from or left on the table by increasing the duty-free limits? In preparation for that it would be a good argument, I believe, to be made, that this is the least they could do, given what they have just given southern Canadians. Thank you.
I appreciate the Member’s advice and will ensure that the Premier is fully briefed with all the information he needs to make a compelling argument in discussion with his colleagues in Iqaluit. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Listening to the news, I also realized that MPs, some MPs, I’m not so sure about our MP, but some northern MP representing a northern region has also raised this in the House of Commons recently as well. I think that we need as large of a voice as possible on this particular issue, and so I would appreciate if our government could also engage those who are elected who are also trying to achieve this goal as well, to reinforce our case. Thank you.
Once again, I appreciate the Member’s comments. I know the Member of Parliament has been a strong advocate of having increases in this area as well. There are three territories and, I believe, six provincial jurisdictions as well that have access to this deduction. We will start with the northern territories and have that discussion and will make sure that we include the Member of Parliament as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
