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.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this construction work is expected in the current fiscal year 20212022. I think with some expectation that it may, indeed, be even as early as this fall but certainly within the next  within the 20212022 fiscals, as I've said will be getting started. And it's a project that has involved the collection stations are involving some discussions with communities around the lake, including the City of Yellowknife, Fort Resolution, Fort Resolution Metis Council, the Deninu Kue First Nation, and so the last year was a bit delayed. One of the other delays  I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, obviously if there was some carryover is required there's certainly some work yet to be done. Neither the Minister nor I were here in August of 2019, but I'd suggest, perhaps, if the Minister of Infrastructure can provide some update as to the status of the project that might be the place to go.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, you know, with respect to the specifics of this amount for Health, then that may be a question for the Minister of Health. But I think where I'm going here is in terms of just the overages  or the carryovers generally, then for that, Madam Chair, if I might turn it back over to Mr. Koe to speak to to what extent these carryover are, again, within a range of, quote unquote, "normal". Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't know the specifics on that. Perhaps I'll turn it over to  but the Minister of Infrastructure might.