Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled “Public Accounts 2014-2015.”

Mr. Speaker, again, we have tasked our senior officials, our deputies, with finding some options and bring forward to Cabinet that we can in turn share with committee. As part of that process, they would talk to all those in their department right down to the regional level as to some of the recommendations that they may have as to how we can address some of the challenges that are facing us. I'm sure there's a process that goes down and then they report back to the deputies who in turn would come forward to this Cabinet with some options and we would share them with committee and get their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a process in the Legislative Assembly that we go through where we appear before a committee with our business planning process outlining some of the challenges we're facing and then we get feedback from committee, and we will develop our main estimates that we will debate in the May/June budget session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

In April 2015, Public Safety Canada launched the National Disaster Mitigation Program, and it does offer some cost sharing, funding, to support national disaster mitigation projects. We would have to work with them to see if this particular project falls under that program, and what the funding sources and funding levels are like. Like many of the programs with the federal government, there's a cost-sharing component to it, so we would have to work with the community of Tuktoyaktuk and the federal government to identify different types of funding that might be available to the community should...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk completed a shoreline protection study in 1994 and they said at the time that their preferred recommendation was to relocate infrastructure currently on the peninsula. From 2007 to 2015, the Hamlet has had a shoreline erosion project on their capital plan. However, I understand in the 2016 capital plan they've removed the use of CPI funding for this and instead are seeking to try to obtain some federal funding or other forms of funding to help deal with the issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to all the Members for the significant effort that went into developing the GNWT's mandate. With the acceptance of the mandate, the government will have the strategic direction to proceed to advance the priorities identified by the 18th Legislative Assembly. As we start to begin the planning to start making decisions to advance the mandate, we cannot ignore our current economic realities. As Members heard in my fiscal update, our economy has not recovered from the global economic and financial crisis of 2008. The five-year outlook for the NWT economy is not...

There has been no decisions made yet, but I take the Member's point. We will have a discussion with all those involved because this would have far-reaching implications across the Northwest Territories, at the same time we need to make sure that we live within our means. It's prudent on us as government to seek input from all those involved across the Northwest Territories and we commit to doing that, and I've committed to the committee that I would find some time with them during this particular session and give them an update as to the work that we're doing.

Mr. Speaker, we have tasked our senior officials with providing us with some options to have a look at the workings of each department within the Government of Northwest Territories and we will work with committee. I have committed to the Priorities and Planning Committee that I would have a discussion with them again and that we will go through the business plan planning exercise. We will get more feedback from Committee as to how we are going to deal with the situation that's facing us, and then we will develop our main estimates that we will table in May/June. I must emphasize, Mr. Speaker...

I spoke briefly to the National Disaster Mitigation Plan. Again, we will explore the options there. The Hamlet also receives $899,000 annually in funding through the Community Public Infrastructure Program from the department. As well, a project dealing with shoreline erosion would be considered eligible for one-time funding in the amount of $789,000 through the Building Canada Small Communities Fund. The hamlet has chosen to utilize its funding on another project in the community. Again, the support that they would get from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is that we'd be...

Community governments have the authority and the control to make decisions about infrastructure in their community. The Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk is responsible for developing and implementing a multi-year capital development plan on how to fund capital projects. Through the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, we provide regular support to communities should they seek our advice on some of the projects that they have in mind.