Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I mean, that response is probably not dissimilar for highway roadways as well as any other project that goes through the capital planning process. And so, for instance, obviously there's a ranking system that we would go through in terms of understanding what kind of issues is at heart. For instance, whether it's protection of people or protection of assets. And there's a secondary criteria that you go through. The projects all go through also whether or not there should be any MACA or economic considerations where you would get into, you know, understanding...

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to provide an update on the Mackenzie Valley Highway project, an ambitious initiative that reflects our continued commitment to fostering sustainable development in the North.

The Mackenzie Valley Highway project dates back several decades, with discussions starting as early as the 1970s. Over the years, extensive planning and consultation have taken place to ensure that this project respects the land and the communities it will serve. Earlier this year, we strengthened our partnership with the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, or SSI, by signing an amended and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's -- I'm always happy when someone is referencing the fiscal responsibility policy, but I don't know that that's -- that policy's really meant to guide the development of the fiscal strategy and the fiscal stewardship on the operations side yet not necessarily in the same way as it applies here, although I know that may be something to look at for the future into how they intersect one with the other. But as far as the three big projects, they are each at different stages and they do each have slightly different obviously sort of end goal benefits.

Fundamenta...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I could direct that to assistant deputy minister MacKay, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I mean, obviously every element of the budget does at some point come through the department of -- well, sorry, not the department of FMB but through the FMB. But this is an item that is a standing -- I guess a standing element sort of its own pot. It doesn't necessarily, quite frankly -- I mean, what we're dealing with is -- just to put some numbers to it, 7,000 different devices for all staff which, you know, 6,000 plus public servants, offices across 33 communities, some of which are on fibre, some of which are still on microwave, so an allocation of $1.95...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there is. And I appreciate the question it doesn't necessarily line up from the title of the project what it is. But by having a modernization project of this nature, we're actually being -- making it easier for residents to access government services. It provides the ability to make services more accessible to all residents across the entire territory. It helps us decentralize those services, gives an opportunity to greater decentralize the services but also greater decentralize potentially positions associated with those services. These are obviously economic...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the materials -- I mean, the information that we're providing in general wouldn't have the procurement detail in it. So the procurement detail traditionally, and across a lot of different governments, not only ours, they don't want to put the number to which then bidders would simply bid to to meet that budget. But, you know, again, I -- if there's information that we're speaking to here, it typically wouldn't be considered confidential. If the question is about making our budget documents bigger, then I can certainly take that back and have a look at it. Thank...

Yes, please, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, October 29th, 2024, I will present Bill 11, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first, with respect to the fulsomeness of the public service, a lot of the growth in the last little while has actually been in the Department of Health and Social Services. A lot of other growth has actually been as a result of Jordan's Principle funding which is allowing additional services in ECE. And that said, there is a very active conversation happening, led with the Department of Finance human resources, around ensuring that we don't have positions that are sitting unfilled, that are not being fully utilized, and with a view to having those...