Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member's correct again. There is funding allocated for that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'd like to refer that to the Minister of Justice, Mr. Sebert.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is correct.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my left I have Mr. Mike Aumond, who is the secretary to the Financial Management Board and deputy minister of finance. To my right, I have Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar who is the deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair. The interim estimates is requesting appropriation authority of $518 million in operations expenditures for the interim period of April 1 to June 30, 2016. These interim estimates provide the necessary resources for the government to operate in the first three months of the 2016-2017 fiscal year. The 2016-2017 Main Estimates, or full budget, will be presented during the May/June sitting of the Legislative Assembly, at which these interim estimates would be superseded. Departments are required to develop their 2016-2017 interim estimates based on a status quo 2015-2016...

As Mr. Blake would say, nice try.

---Laughter

No, this is just an interim appropriation. We still have the business planning process to go through and then we will work with committee, get feedback from committee, as we develop our main estimates that will be tabled in May/June. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this interim budget is business as usual. We have the process of the business planning review and the main estimates budget that's going to be tabled in May/June. But for the exercise we're going through today it is business as usual. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2015-2016, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of Northwest Territories for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2015-16, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On February 18, 2016, the Financial Management Board approved increases to the GNWT sole-source limits effective April 1, 2016, and that is concurrent with the implementation of the modernized Financial Administration Act. Specifically, the sole-source limit for goods and non-professional services will increase from $5,000 to $25,000; professional services from $25,000 to under $50,000; and for architectural and engineering professional services, to under $100,000.

The Modern Management Initiative is friendly to northern businesses and also addresses inflationary increases since the GNWT sole...