Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this group was set up, if you can think back now a long 12 months back to June, when we were still just fresh coming out of the lockdown and we were still a long way from having the Business Advisory Council or Emerging Stronger or any other type of document, when the Department of ITI then reached out to the industry representatives that represent almost a third of our GDP to start to talk about COVID recovery, COVID relief, and, really, economic recovery and economic relief more generally.

So I can't take credit for the decision to get that going at that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. No such conversations were had with me. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm here to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No, 1, 20212022. These supplementary estimates propose a total increase of $36.6 million comprised of the following major items:

First, $4.3 million for investments committed to as part of the 202122 main estimates process, including $600,000 to advance the Northwest Territories midwifery program into phase 2 of its implementation;

$1.4 million to support aftercare and communitybased addictions programs and services, comprised of $750,000 for a communitybased addictions and aftercare fund...

Madam Chair, that's not accurate. The $5 million is for flood relief. It's for flood relief in the communities, for small businesses, for individuals, for residents, tenants, homeowners. It is just  it's how, indeed, now it does get rolled out is, I think, really where the question is, but that is exactly its purpose, is to support all of those individuals who are in the floodaffected communities. And the application process is one that allows it to operate through the disaster assistance policy that has been in place for, you know, years. It is the one  the same that has been employed on...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So again so the wage topup program, you might recall, was originally when some essential workers, typically in the southern jurisdictions, were not necessarily returning to work and not making themselves available at their workplaces because of the risks associated at the time of COVID19 and the option was to go on to the various relief programs. So this was an opportunity to try to encourage people to go back into those workplaces that were highly needed. Our wages, being what they are in the Northwest Territories, was such that and the fact that a lot of essential...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 34, Supplementary Appropriations Act, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 34, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 20212022, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the five million is really an initial figure right now to support the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and, more specifically, the disaster assistance committees that have been set up to go in and to provide, firstly, the emergency services and emergency supports that have already been offered. So in terms of the costs of conducting the evacuations, the cost of providing shelter and food for evacuees, you know, cots, fans, camping equipment, supplies, again, food, and various other supplies in a real emergency moment. So I understand the costs...

Thank you, Madam Chair. And Madam Chair, I just want to say I was flipping through the contribution agreement trying to find the specific section, but it just at the risk of repeating, it is quite clear that it is there is not to be any dividend payments, share buybacks, shareholder distributions, any management bonuses relevant to the term of the agreement. So, I mean, there is no lack of clarity that this funding is not meant to be for those purposes board member salaries or parent corporations to a third party, etcetera. So it is quite clear.

I do not believe there have been any challenges...

Madam Chair, the Minister of Housing has been very clear that she is committed to getting housing dealt with ready, sorted, built, rebuilt, and when I'm focusing on the disaster assistance policy and the disaster assistance committee, it is not for lack of recognizing that we need to work outside that stringent process. I want people to know that there is a process, that it is in existence, that the committee is stood up, and you know, and will undertake its work and take it seriously. But, again, that's where I've made the statement today that we're going to be working together to...