Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Madam Chair. So this is an interesting one where we're spending money for portables in Colville Lake, and I'll be the first to admit I've never been Colville Lake but I've heard stories about how unacceptable the school is there. So we're spending money on portables but there's also a negative appropriation of $740,000 in here for I'm not sure exactly what for the Colville Lake school. So can I get some explanation as what's happening with this money in and money out for Colville Lake school? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. It's kind of hard for me to say this, but I move that consideration of Tabled Document 43819(2) Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 43819(2) be supported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Okay. Well, that's -- I'm a little bit better informed. I'm still concerned with the amount of carryovers or recash flowing, as it's called. What -- what's driving this? Perhaps COVID might be. But is it also our ability to get the money out the door. Do we need more people in the Department of Infrastructure to do contracting? Have we maxed out the contract capacity in the Northwest Territories? What's driving this $113 million re-cash flow into future years? Thanks, Madam.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I support this recommendation as well. And I just want to highlight the recommendation calls for the Public Utilities Board to work with the two utilities here. You know, I don't know exactly what the Public Utilities Board does, but as I understand it, the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board or Cabinet could issuing binding policy direction to set up this crisis fund. And I think that's something that I'd want my colleagues across the way to think about. And of course, you're going to respond to this if it passes, and but you have the ability to...

Thanks. And then for the Inuvik Wind Project, it seems to be a really round figure of $19 million. Is any money being spent in the current year on that project. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Okay, thanks for that. So beyond that re-cash flowing, are there other, like, carryovers that are taking place? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Just reminded me that there was one other factor that I think led to the 2018 policy change that's highlighted in this recommendation, and that's the fact that the Housing Corporation was paying corporate rates for electricity as opposed to residential rates and the corporate rates, I think, are, like, two I might not even get the right number, but it's two or three times higher than what residential rates were. So, again, this was about trying to cut the Housing Corporation costs in some measure. So that was the other thing that was driving this, was the different rates...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I'll ask the same question here for the Slave Geological Province Corridor. Was any money expended or will any money be expended in the current year, and what is it generally doing? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. So this money that's being taken out of the current financial year, so this appears before us now as the capital estimates of this $113 million that's been transferred into the capital estimates for 2022-2023; is that what I hear the Minister saying? Thanks.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess, as I understand it, NEBS also operates in Nunavut, and I think the Minister talked about how there was some consultation with Nunavut in preparing the bill. I don't think Nunavut has passed similar legislation and, of course, they had their election not that long ago, but is there any indications from the new government as to what they're doing with their legislation? Thanks, Madam Chair.