Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jun 30/00) - Government action, not good intentions, is what's going to improve the lot of people in the NWT, said Frame Lake MLA Charles Dent in the legislative assembly Wednesday.

Dent made the comment in his critique of the budget address. Each MLA has a chance to reply to the Finance Minister's statement of the broad goals of his budget.

Dent, a minister with the last government, was more qualified than most MLAs to highlight the shortcomings of the budget.

Dent, as many MLAs have done this session, took aim at the five per cent hotel tax proposed by Finance Minister Joe Handley.

"The five per cent will bring in only $1 million net. It is hardly worth the aggravation," said Dent. "What about the drop in business? What about the potential impact on Northern employment?"

Government will end up paying about half the tax, Dent said, estimating government accounts for about half the hotel usage in the NWT.

Far better, would be increasing the one per cent payroll tax. Revenue generated could be used to increase the northern resident income tax deduction.

But Handley said adjusting the payroll tax and the northern residents deduction is not as simple as Dent makes it seem. Handley said a three per cent payroll tax would cost a single person earning $60,000 a year about $150 per month off their paycheques.

"People would have to wait until year-end to get their tax benefit. A lot of people can't afford to wait until the end of the year to get a lump sum cheque," said Handley.

Dent also pointed out that a 50 per cent cut in capital spending from the 1996-97 level transfers expense that rightfully belongs to the present government to future governments.

Leftover cash

The late arrival of funding combined with the December election cost the nurse recruitment effort big time.

Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger noted $820,000 in money earmarked for nursing recruitment and retention programs was not spent last fiscal year.

Miltenberger raised the issue while pointing out a lifetime Metis resident in his community of Fort Smith had been denied education leave to get her nursing degree.

"I am amazed at the rigid attitude the department appears to be taking," said Miltenberger, after being told education leave is covered by the nurses' collective agreement and not the recruitment and retention policy.

Health Minister Jane Groenewegen said money for education leave had already been assigned to other applicants by the time the Fort Smith nurse had applied.

Groenewegen said the department would be willing to work with the applicant to find other sources of funding.

Students left out in the cold

The new Student Financial Assistance Act came under fire during review of the Education, Culture and Employment budget this week.

Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee said the switch to monthly payments to students, instead of annual lump sums, is going to be a headache for students.

"The biggest complaint the students have is that students from all over Canada have to call whatever line it is and receive a voice mail message," said Lee.

"They will be going through this every month if they do not receive their cheques."

Jake Ootes said direct deposit monthly payments have proven a problem in the past, but assured Lee the money would be in students' accounts on the first of the month.