Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Chair, I mean, I guess I'd have to start with the first question which was around getting the data of how far we are behind, if when we're behind, and what that sort of level of being behind is. I will put a plug in, Mr. Chair, that -- because, again, we want to make sure we're meeting our 30 days before we start to look at 14 days. If individuals, if staff know that they've gone for medical that they're going to have a particularly large incurrence, a particularly large impact from whether it's the nature -- length of travel, nature of treatment, whatever it might be, it is possible to do...

Yes, that's correct, Mr. Chair. We're providing the cost of living offsets to offset the impacts of the tax. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, first time I'm giving -- having received that question and certainly happy to see if there is an opportunity here to go back and look at how it is administered, what cutoffs there might be. You know, again, Mr. Chair, I don't have that level of detail here as being -- as it's under the grants and contributions detail. So, again, can't say a lot to it now. I didn't anticipate that this would be a subject of questions. So, again, happy to look at it if this is an opportunity. Again, certainly can take that away and give it a bit more work. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is an area that may well see a need to have a budget increase between now and 2025-2026, although that said, the last couple of years have had particularly high interest rates, and they only just came down not in time. If I recall correctly, we came down to our low -- it was only over the summer -- so if rates remain -- if interest rates remain low, we may well find that we can return back to a lower number, although we do now have an increased in short-term debt so there's a couple of things to be balancing in there. And if we can move -- you know, again...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand the Premier has, in fact, offered to meet with committee to discuss in more depth the current -- I mean, obviously, currently in Washington, much is happening in the space related to sovereignty, and it would probably be a good place at that opportunity to discuss what a future opportunity might look like, and I will leave that to the other parties and to the Premier to complete that discussion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, no, just to be clear, it is tabled as part of when the public accounts are being tabled. I don't know that it is being tabled separately. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I -- it sounds like we can put something together without too much difficulty, so happy to make the commitment. And, really, go from what we were providing, you know, again, we want it to be useful. There's a large number of -- large volume of these requests, and they've gone up over the last few years so they are adding some new officers. I do want folks to hear us saying that. It is a medical -- or it is a benefit for the public service and I know it's -- is one that's relied upon so want that message to be clear, but also there continues to be a lot of work in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we're certainly live to what's being said on the national stage by prospective future leaders of the country and what they may or may not do. Obviously, Mr. Chair, we certainly do want to be prepared to action a change if there is one, but it certainly hasn't happened yet, and the election hasn't been called as of yet. So what the outcome would be if we were to be in a situation where we're having to respond to the reduction on the carbon tax, there would be a net loss of income, revenue generation income, about $11 million approximately. But that, Mr. Chair...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that's the first time I've had that question asked of me in any setting. I don't have an answer right now, and I'm happy to certainly take it back and likely confer with ECE who would have a role in ensuring that we are providing that kind of level of service to residents. So, again, happy to take that away and see if there is some room or opportunity to support residents differently or better. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For all of the thermal communities; in other words, communities that rely on exclusive diesel generation for power supply. They are brought down to the power rate that is in Yellowknife so it does -- it would benefit -- yes, it brings the power rates down for those communities. Thank you.