Caroline Wawzonek

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Consolidated Budgets 20212022 of the Government of the Northwest Territories; Public Service Annual Report for 20202021; and, the Report of Special Warrants issued June to November of 2021. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's view. That is not what we want to be hearing and there was actually quite a number of, what I thought fairly clever, controls put in place and it wasn't the first time the Member raised that with myself and so the department's well aware. Techniques were used you can't advance very far unless you have sort of gone through the motions of clicking through various items. You either have to read a certain number or you have to view a certain number of videos or dialogs in order to advance. So there's some interesting ways in there that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this was launched back in March of 2021. It was mandated to be for everyone and everyone is expected to have it done by March of 2022. And new employees will have a year from their start date. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake,that Bill 32, an Act to Amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 43, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20212022 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 44, Supplementary Appropriations Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 4, 20202021, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I certainly am sympathetic to what the Member is saying. I do run up against the fact that anything that's an entitlement specific or in this nature, a benefit, does come within the collective agreement. So always mindful of the role of the Department of Finance and myself as Minister to abide by the collective agreement, not never to be seen to be bargaining outside of the collective agreement process, but then wanting to ensure that we are applying access to those benefits equitably and consistently and with that wholeofgovernment approach. So I do...

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20212022. These Supplementary Estimates propose a total increase of $17.2 million, $16 million of which will be offset by revenues from the Government of Canada. Notable items which are federally funded include:

$4.9 million in support of First Nations and Inuit home and community care;

$3.2 million to reduce risk in longterm care facilities during the COVID19 pandemic;

$2.8 million in support of early learning and childcare programs;

$979,000 in support of the Regional Air...