Daryl Dolynny

Welcome back, committee. I will call committee back to order. As I indicated earlier, we are going to continue with the Capital Estimates, 2016-2017, that’s Tabled Document 281-17(5), and we will ask the Minister of Finance if he has witnesses he would like to bring into the House. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Continuing on with questioning, I have Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Thank you for joining us, Mr. Lovely and Mr. Stewart. Welcome back to the House.

Committee, if I can turn your attention to your capital infrastructure workbooks, we are going to be doing Education as indicated. We’re going to be on page 13. With that, we’ll defer that after consideration of the activity detail. I’d ask your indulgence to turn to page 14, education and culture, infrastructure investments, $6.627 million. Does committee agree? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to present Committee Report 21-17(5), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the 2013-2014 Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission Annual Report.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Stewart.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Does committee agree?

I got that response loud and clear and I appreciate it. With the new work underway by the Department of Finance in preparation for the enactment of the Financial Administration Act, which is on April 1, 2016, the premise of my concern here today is that fiscal accountability is too important to leave to mere policy. Rather, it should be enshrined in law.

Has the Minister given any consideration to the merits of passing a fiscal responsibility act?

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Stewart.

Does the committee agree to proceed into detail?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we await for the Financial Administration Act, or the FAA, to come into force in April 2016, there still seems some questions around the foundation of documents that sets up requirements the government must meet in borrowing money in serving its debt. This is the updated Fiscal Responsibility Policy, which was also referenced earlier today in the fiscal update.

Mr. Speaker, this policy was brought in in 2008 and was only found as a pamphlet online. It was never properly enacted as a policy of government, which makes its very existence very difficult for Members, very...