Kevin O'Reilly

Thank you for that. So what, if any, lessons have we learned, then, in terms of the size of the supplementary reserve? And I recognize that we wouldn't expect a Hay River flood every year but clearly with the climate crisis on us and so on, we need to find a way to set aside some more money to deal with this kind of stuff that's more likely to happen. So how are we going to try to manage this into the future? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thanks, Mr. Chair. So does this have anything, then, to do with our overbudgeting for capital that's happened over a number of years where, you know, we've been carrying forward 50 percent of the capital funds from year to year because with we just can't get the money out the door; there's not enough people to do the work, whatever? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks. Yeah, I think there's going to be a cash flow problem here. But can someone tell me where we stand at with the supplementary reserve for the operations side for 20222023? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So if you actually read the report from the committee, it provides the rationale for this recommendation. You know, the public accounts indicate that in 20202021, the GNWT collected $66 million in resource revenues but there's no note with that line item. There's a bit of a break down between minerals gross money its gross amount of minerals, oil, and gas royalties, licenses, rentals, and other fees, and then quarry fees. So it doesn't even indicate through a note that this is actually a gross amount. This is not very transparent reporting of revenues to our government. And...

Mr. Chair, well good thing I'm not an accountant. So I guess the bottom line here is that we have to this money is now showing up on our books as money that we're spending, and we've got $22.4 million less to work with? I am confused at the best of times. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Mr. Chair. Committee wishes to deal with Committee Report 3619(2), Tabled Document 74719(2), Tabled Document 74819(2). Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So can someone explain to me, in plain language, what this extra $22.4 million is all about? It's some sort of change in accounting treatment. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. Well, let's talk about some systemic change here, then. So in our current inflationary situation, price increases have been highest on mandatory costs, including food and shelter, rather than discretionary purchases, meaning poor people suffer more from inflation. So will the Minister take this affordability crisis as the opportunity to construct lasting measures, like a guaranteed basic income, that directly addresses the cost of living? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Well, thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that, but I'm not going to continue the debate here. I got the Minister on record, and now I'm going to hold our government to account for that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for recognizing that the minimum wage is not a living wage, and it keeps people in poverty. So through the work of the minimum wage committee and ECE analysts, you know, there's a lot of information that's been compiled. I also put together this percentage. 90 percent of our workforce received a page topup program because of how low our minimum wage actually is here. So can the Minister commit to developing and regularly update an actual living wage for each of the 33 NWT communities? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.