Kevin O'Reilly

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. And the reason why this is so important is the last time the survey was down, the herd or done, the herd was down to 8,200 animals compared to a high of almost 400,000. So this is a critical piece of information we need to make the best possible decisions about that area, including whether we should be building roads or not. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 41219(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022, be concluded; and, that Tabled Document 41219(2) be reported and recommended as amended and ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, one of the items here is $300,000 for the barrenground caribou calving survey. Given that it's June 3rd, I think this work might even be underway right now but I'd like to get some confirmation from the Minister about the status of this work. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I appreciate that work's been done through income assistance to get some funding in to people's pockets. Is that a onetime payment, or is that going to continue on a monthly basis as long as people need it? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair; sometimes we all look alike. I want to start by thanking the Finance Minister for carrying through with a number of commitments she made as part of our budget negotiations on the main estimates back in the last sitting. So there's a number of new spending items in here to carry through with those commitments and that those are much appreciated, and I think they were mutually achieved by both sides of the House to on behalf of all the residents of the NWT.

One of the other areas, though, that they agreed upon was changes or reductions in travel expenditures. And I just want...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm going to switch topics slightly. I do not consider this to be resolved and this  okay, two issues: Who's going to help people fill out this form? The two navigators are floating around in the communities. They're there for a couple of days, then they're going on down the valley. Those navigators are not going to be there helping people fill out these forms. Who's going to help them  people, elders who may not speak any English fill out these forms? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Okay, thanks, Madam Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. I guess this gets back to some of the reasons why I actually voted against the capital budget, because I just felt it was unrealistic and there was I think almost half of the money in the capital budget was a carryover from the previous year, and I just felt that there's no way we're actually going to be able to get all this money out the door during a pandemic, and I'm concerned about getting some of this money out the door even in this sup as well. So, yeah, until we get a better tracking system and a more realistic capital...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I raised this in previous a capital budgets. I had understood the Department of Finance was going to develop some kind of a tracking system for carryovers, because we've had growing and very significant carryovers over a period of time and that's another question I'll ask at some point, but. And the tracking system was supposed to kind of categorize the reasons for carryovers. Sometimes it's got to do with cash flow from another party or, you know, inability to get the money out the door or there's no contractors available to do the work, or weather, or whatever. Is that...

Thanks, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 41119(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022; and Committee Report 1619(2), Report on Housing Phase One: Needs for NWT Homeowners and Private Landlords. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Short recess

Merci, Monsieur le President. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 4th, 2021, I will move the following motion: Now, therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop a food securities strategy by engaging Northwest Territories residents, harvesters, and agricultural producers to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to programs and services with specific targets, actions, and timelines.

And further, that the Premier appoint a Minister responsible for food security to lead this work; and furthermore...