Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I guess I don't have any other comments to make. I know the departments are working all the departments are working together on that right now, and I don't know the current state of the matter that's before the board. But again, as I have said, I think we're all quite hopeful that subject to how that unfolds, which is out of the GNWT's hands, that it will ultimately be for the benefit of that region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I certainly can make a commitment to go and see what might be available. What I might also suggest, though, Madam Speaker, is perhaps an opportunity for the Member, who I know is passionate about this particular issue, to check in with myself and with the department and perhaps also NWT Tourism. There are a number of private operators would like to get into this space. There may be access to parks facilities but, again, they may require further capital costs to be where the Member wants them to be. But let's get to the heart of what the issue and what the barriers are...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I do sincerely hope that public servants don't feel left out. I know there are some and many that do. Mr. Chair, the labour market supplement, it is not a bonus. It was not COVID pay. It was not reflective of folks who I know were working on the front lines during COVID and were often working through very difficult circumstances through COVID. The labour market supplement flows from the labour market supplement policy that was developed to give some parameters in what is a very difficult labour market in all industries, in all professions across all of Canada...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I want to make sure I have not missed anything. Perhaps I'll turn it over to the deputy minister or assistant deputy minister just to confirm where they may fall in our new year capital planning, please.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I do appreciate the opportunity to speak to this question. I do hope that the members of the public and business are paying attention because, again, I know this can be a time with a lot of uncertainty. When there's uncertainty and volatility, it may mean businesses aren't making the investments that we want to see them making to have a robust and diversified economy in the North. So, again, I'll say something that I was saying a lot more back when the pandemic was in full force, which is that the public sector is larger in the territories than what it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the total amount for this season is coming in at just over $24.7 million. So a little bit more than what is reflected here. That's the total budget including the base funding amounts that were for the department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Mr. Chair, there I mean, the short answer is yes. But I'd like to just turn it over to deputy minister on that front. There were conversations had not only with Department of Finance but the Department of Infrastructure as well, and the deputy minister might be better placed to just give a bit of assurance in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as I was just saying there's not a lot directly that the government can necessarily do. But what I would certainly be willing to look at is perhaps having the two departments come together and see if there's room through which the government can help advocate or room through which the government might be able to provide more information to small businesses, to the small business community, about what they might do to help influence their own rates. There may be information that is, you know, more readily available to some than to others, for example...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I mean, I and I appreciate the comment again. We certainly don't want to see a flood impact that's the size of $100 million as we did this year. Certainly I mentioned the year before, while devastating in the Deh Cho region and the Nahendeh region, the costs of that flood in 2021 were nowhere near what this one was. So there's by no means any certainty that we're going to be year over year seeing $100 million for what appear to be climate change impacts. That said, I take the point it is that, you know, there may need to be some looking at where this what kind of...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, I wouldn't necessarily characterize it entirely as that. Again, there's there is a new approach that we are using for the coming fiscal year, and that approach is meant to look you know, to bring a bit of that planning more strictly in at the front end. But there's going to still be occasions where projects don't advance for a variety of valid and reasonable reasons. But, you know so, again, I wouldn't necessarily characterize it all as that. But this review does give an opportunity to, at this point, again, bring it forward now rather than waiting until...