Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 281-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates, 2016-2017, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Ms. Bisaro, are you concluded?

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.