Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is in regard to process. Are we going to spend a ton of money looking at forms and consultation and legislative drafters? That all costs money. I think that as a government right now, as we all hear, we don’t have much of it.
As a government we’ve already instituted legislation by way of resource pacts. That was done back in the 13th Assembly. It was drafted and ready to go. It had a hotel tax that went through a whole, thorough review. It was drafted and drafted, ready for the House.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, this is not going to be a long, protracted, hugely expensive process. It’s going to conclude October 15, and we’re going to spend a few weeks pulling it all together so that we’re ready for when we start in mid-November with the business planning process.
Yes, there was work done on a mining tax. It was preliminary work in nature, but we’re going to look at all the options that are there. We’re going to come forward with our best recommendations and proposals in terms of revenue options, reductions and then potential tax increases.
Mr. Speaker, around the House since the 13th Assembly…. We had initiatives by the Ministers of Finance back then. We had Mr. Handley do the initiative in regard to a hotel tax. That took a whole process of consultation, public hearings, the whole works. At the end of it all it didn’t even proceed to the House.
Because of the experience we’ve had in the past on these legislative initiatives looking at tax reform, we should learn from our mistakes and not waste public funds on doing stuff that we know is not going to fly. Already, from the public outcry that we hear….
I’d like to ask the Minister again: would you consider bringing forward those legislative initiatives that have already been worked on in regard to tax initiatives to the Members of this House so we can debate it in this House and also give us an opportunity to see where the support is on this side of the House so that we don’t waste a lot of public funds?
We will come forward with the full package for committee’s review, what we think is viable and what we think is not. We’re going to come forward with the options in terms of being able to, we believe, grow the population in a modest but significant way that’s going to add to our economic base over time.
In addition, we’re going to come forward, as Members know, with year 2 of the reduction exercise. We’re prepared, and we’re going to have that full discussion with committee, looking for their advice and feedback.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
