Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to make some remarks at second reading of this bill. It's a short bill and it follows up on a committee recommendation from the last Assembly on the original legislation, and I would just like to read this from the August 13th, 2019, report from Standing Committee on Government Operations, Recommendation 3:

Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Department of Finance table an annual report in the Legislative Assembly on the carbon tax that provides details on:

Total carbon taxes collected;

Carbon taxes collected from large emitters;

To...

No, thank you very much.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. Of course, people on our side tend to be more concerned with caribou because where the people on this side of the boundary are the ones that actually tend to use them more often. But I mentioned in my statement that I love Cabin Radio because it so often scoops any effort by our Cabinet to communicate with the public and Regular MLAs, and this meeting at the US Embassy is just one more example. So can the Minister explain why there was no communication with Regular MLAs about this event before or after this meeting? Mahsi, Mr...

Yeah, okay, thanks. I think part of the issue here, too, is as Regular MLAs we just really don't have enough information and oversight on NTPC. You know, we don't get capital budgets from them. We don't get O and M budgets. All of that part of that is dealt with through the public utilities board but we have a board that is deputy ministers now for too long, and I go back to Hansard from May the 28th, and I'm quoting the Finance Minister:

Madam Chair, an options paper is currently under development by Executive and Indigenous Affairs that proposes to amend composition of the NWT Power...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Wow, that sounds like quite the meeting. These large boondoggle infrastructure projects with dubious northern benefits come and go but take away from what should be serious efforts to diversify our economy. So can the Minister tell us what the interest of the United States is in hosting such a meeting and was there any discussion of alternatives to large infrastructure development? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. So is this going to be required on an ongoing basis that the government is going to have to put $15 million into rate stabilization going forward? Thanks, Madam Chair.

I'd be worried there, Mr. Speaker.

Committee recognises the importance of statutory officers' annual reports to public and standing committees. Committee also recognizes that timely release of information is a key component of transparency and accountability.

Committee considered the four options identified by the Speaker. Given the importance of these reports and the request made to the Board of Management, committee does not believe the status quo is a viable option. Requiring statutory officers to produce their reports for tabling in the May/June session represents an additional burden, as...

Yeah, no. Thanks. I appreciate that commitment on the part of the Minister, and I think that should just become part of normal practice here, that when sups come forward that there is some statement and presentation of information about compliance with the fiscal responsibility policy. So I'll look forward to that. Maybe get another set in August. Thank you. That's all I've got. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of Tabled Document 94119(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20232024, at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I have a funny feeling, though, that there's going to be some more another supplementary appropriation that's going to contain money that's required to help people in Hay River, and I'll certainly support that, but I think we're going to be making a bigger hole in that supplementary reserve than we would have liked. But I guess I'd like to get an explanation from the Minister, even with this supplementary appropriation, how does this affect the operating surplus in compliance with the fiscal responsibility policy? Thanks, Madam Chair.