Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, on January 16th, the Government of the Northwest Territories launched a new open data portal to provide a single point of access for existing GNWT data resources. This portal represents a significant step forward in our commitment to transparency and open government and it will be a valuable resource for residents, businesses, researchers, and anyone else interested in the data and information that shapes our communities and our economy. The open data portal provides easy access to a wide range of data including information on demographics, economy, environment, health, and many...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, again, it's federal government rules that we're working within and, you know, I'd like to suggest it's we're basically putting up a shield to try to ensure that the full force of what the federal government is doing doesn't impact residents and businesses in the Northwest Territories. The total grants and rebates that are proposed here are $47.18 million. There's also almost $700,000 that is required to administer the program largely through the Canada Revenue Agency. We don't have necessarily the manpower to do it but it does still come with a cost. And then the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the health recruitment unit does work both with or in three parts. There's health and social services, NTHSSA, as well as the Tlicho services or social TCSA, Madam Chair, to form working groups that are meant to have the human resources expertise on the one side but also then the TCSA expertise on the other side so that they can then develop together and identify together what the gaps are and how to respond to them. So I would certainly commit, Madam Chair, to perhaps getting some notes or some background as to where that working group is at from the with the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry, Madam Chair, I was looking for something different there. Because this so the money that's showing up here in under the management board secretariat is the is related to the service payments that we have to maintain the line or for over the cost of having built the line but not necessarily connected to what is happening in terms of connecting communities.

So the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line does create the point of presence of the fibre in the communities and we do pay for that and receive revenues for its use. But there is, meanwhile, work happening, led by...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, certainly I would note for at this moment, there is a junior officer, I think a human resources officer and an assistant in the Tlicho based in the Tlicho region. I certainly can appreciate, you know, feedback from the Member. It is difficult to necessarily draw a conclusion about the state of hiring or vacancy rates in a context right now given the labour market shortages across sectors and across Canada and whether or not that is related to a shift in how human resources was structured many years ago as compared to the circumstances we're facing today...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That was the last round of funding received from the federal government under this initiative. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so there is a joint initiative between the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Finance. And I will speak specifically to the health area though, really, Madam Chair, at this point the department of health mirrors more closely what happens in other departments in that there are still management roles for the department's staff that then work with a human resources officer or client services officer who can support the work that goes on to hire someone into an individual department or division.

The health recruitment unit, though, is...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That I guess I set myself up for that one. Madam Chair, so, I mean, we have the liquor and cannabis commission, which is the entity responsible for actually doing the sales of the liquor and now cannabis. So the revolving fund really does fund those operations and as soon as they have an excess, they don't make a profit; that money goes back to the consolidated revenue of the Government of the Northwest Territories. But by keeping it separate, they do they can run their own operation, and yes, separate unto themselves which I would say is not necessarily an area that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The contributions or payments are made over the summer months, so either between July to before the end of August.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I certainly can sorry, yes, so that's the difference there. That, Madam Chair, was positionally well, a couple of things, Madam Chair. There were some changes in terms of compensation and benefits back at the time. There was unfunded positions and underfunded positions that have been that have adjusted over time. And then also, Madam Chair, there was an unfunded donation this is where there's a donation that was made, $150,000 to United Way, to deal or to support flood relief came out of there as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.