Robert C. McLeod

I'll just say yes, it does, with committee's support.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, I can understand the Member’s question because it does leave itself open for question when you use the word "other." I think we made a commitment in the past that we’re staying away from the word "other" and we were going to break it up and have that money specifically allocated to be different. I will make that commitment that we will remove the word "other."

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The revenue would show up in Finance under revenue summary. If you look on page 128, you are going to see the number $1,182,000. That is what we are anticipating for 2017-18.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my immediate right, I have Mr. David Stewart. He’s the deputy minister of Finance. To my far right, Tara Hunter, who is the director of Management Service and Recruitment. To my left, I have Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar, who is the deputy secretary to the FMB. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we hear the Member's concern in regard to the governance of the heritage fund, and it would be nice to have a trilliondollar heritage fund like they do in Norway. We would have no shortage of governors then, to govern over it.

This is a new process. I think we have been at it for about four years, so we are just working our way through it. I am sure that, as we work our way through it, there are opportunities to improve it or have public governance of it. We just have to be sure that there is not a huge cost factor in doing something like that. We will look at...

Yes, I do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I am presenting the 2017-2018 Main Estimates for the Department of Finance. The proposed estimates for the department reflect the amalgamation of the Department of Finance and the Department of Human Resources.

These estimates total $235.7 million, which includes the GNWT's operating contributions of $74.9 million to the NWT Housing Corporation. Overall, the department’s estimates propose a decrease of approximately $3 million or 1.3 per cent when compared to the restated 2016-2017 Main Estimates for the Departments of Finance and Human Resources.

Highl...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that information is available in public accounts, but, realizing that public accounts is a fairly lengthy document, I will make a commitment to the Member that we will look at including that number in our business plans and our main estimate document. I think that answers his first question. I am sure he has another one. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, that was the one unanswered question and the answer would be, yes, that I would continue to update and upgrade the Regular Members as we move forward with the discussions we're having with Canada and the Aboriginal governments.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we are developing a discussion paper. I know it is in the mandate that this is something that we have to have a look at by the end of the mandate of the 18th Legislative Assembly, so the commitment is there, and we are developing a discussion paper. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Government of Canada and the GNWT actually drafted an addendum and release agreements to reflect the transfer of responsibility from Canada to the GNWT. These agreements were not signed prior to devolution because the Aboriginal parties did not support having Canada removed as a signatory to the environmental agreements.