Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 54, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20222023 be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be interested to hear what one of the other colleagues might have to say about preparation of the operations budgets. But I'm happy to answer it.

And Mr. Speaker, before I do, let me just note that this process of doing the budget dialogues, or what's become budget dialogues, did come originally from other MLAs. So, you know, I do want to acknowledge that that idea came from them and it's been a helpful experience every year. We are doing it again. I had hoped to have it out a little earlier but with all the work that's happening with the impacts of the floods...

In favour.

Mr. Speaker, today is the thirdyear anniversary of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. I wish to honour the Indigenous women and girls and genderdiverse people who have lost their lives or who have experienced or continue to experience trauma and violence.

Mr. Speaker, most people in the Northwest Territories, and certainly everyone in this room, knows someone who has attended a residential or day school, whose grandparent lost a family member during the 50s and 60s tuberculosis outbreak, or whose sibling was taken away during the 60s...

The Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't have the breakdown or the details of the project specifically here. What we have in front of us here, really just information about carryovers or lapses. But, so I don't think so. I will confirm that and let the Member know. But my understanding and recollection of this project is that it was being specially designed. It was specially designed to be CFIA compliant and under the sort of the watchful eyes of Memorial University who had some specialty in this area. So with all that, I know that they were looking largely at new things and new equipment...

I'll direct that to the deputy secretary, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there's a couple of different reasons for it. Approximately $1.8 million is due to increased costs of equipment, and that in itself is in turn due to the changes globally right now. It's a specialized equipment, and it's being impacted by the supply chain delays and being impacted by the costs on some of the basic components that go into the equipment.

There is additional amounts increased as a result of change orders. There were some delays in this project as you might recall, and as time is going on, it does seem like all costs are rising rather quickly...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, let me take that one away. I will say we have changed the way we report on materials and information over the last few years, and I will go and have some conversations about what is here, what reasons there may be for and against, and get back to the House with that information.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, my understanding at this point is that this is still at a strategic stage and as such, I don't expect it entirely guarantees the full delivery of the new system. That said, it is certainly an important and critical sort of step in that regard. So I do expect to hear more from this over the next year, certainly over the life of this government. Thank you, Madam Chair.