Don Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, the amounts around implementation that are being charged against the revolving fund are specific to activities around sales and distribution. So, for example, the e-commerce platform that was developed to sell cannabis online will be dealt with through the revolving fund. These ones are broader-type support for issues that are really future policy work in some cases, like the edibles as they come on, as well the overall coordination of activities, as the Member is probably aware. There are other departments that are also engaged in activities related to cannabis in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are three positions related to this activity. Two of them are related to the implementation of cannabis sales and distribution, so they will be involved in the review of any vendor applications that we get to open additional locations; they will also be involved in the overall corporate cannabis-related activities; and then, thirdly, to support the future policy changes. The federal government has indicated that there will be some decisions made around things like edibles, for example, within the year, and that will require some additional policy work.

The second...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. As well as a supplementary reserve for infrastructure, we also have one for operations funding, and then there is an estimate that goes into the Main Estimates on how much will be lapsed by departments over the year. As part of the public accounts process, all of that is reconciled, and we will know whether we end up with a different cash position than what was forecast at the time of the main estimates. It is really after the end of the fiscal year, and we get a final accounting of all three of those pots that we will be able to know what the impact would be overall on the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is my understanding this is for buildings, and this is something the government has been doing for some time, trying to consolidate all of our lease payments under Infrastructure so that we can better manage them. These are two leases, one on the Hay River Reserve and one in Fort Smith, that we have leases for that are being moved from ENR's budget into a consolidated budget in Infrastructure. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. It certainly has to help. I understand the department continues to work with AVENS, though, to look at their broader financial situation. I understand the Member is correct, that they have been having some challenges on the financial side. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think the 10-year agreement that was signed, the framework lays out broad goals to improve early childhood programming in Canada. I think the three-year agreement is related to specific actions that were included in that three-year. I think it is safe to say that there will probably be further discussions on activities that may take place after the first three-year period. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. The reserve value, the Member is correct, it is $20 million for 2018-2019. The investments that we have made in the base on some of these items that the Minister noted for Health and Social Services and other areas, we believe that that reserve amount will work, and that we will be able to stay within that amount. Obviously, there are other factors like fires and those sorts of things that we can never be too certain of, and so we will have to keep our eye on that and manage our resources carefully over 2018-2019 to make sure that we are able to meet the financial figures...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, that is accurate. At the end of the year when we have both the operations and the capital spending, then we will know where our final cash position will end up and whether we need to add that onto the short-term debt. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A couple of the items that are included under the activities that are going on: professional development and training, to support training for licensed childcare centre based early childhood development programs; cultural resource development in distribution to some of the centres; supporting some additional post-secondary training for early childhood workers; scholarships that are provided to support students who are enrolled in early childhood programs; some health and safety funding; and then some additional grabs for equipment and those sorts of things for childcare...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, we'll charge the interest on that short-term debt back to the revolving fund. Thanks, Mr. Chair.