Caroline Wawzonek

CIBC, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, two staff are being added to FESS, so that is the division that supports public servants with -- including with medical travel assistance. And, you know, definitely the intent there being with two additional people on that that will be an opportunity to help ensure that people are having more timely assistance. You know, again, Mr. Chair, there's -- I will say there's also work happening in the Department of Health and Social Services. We do rely on referrals from them to come over to us, to FESS, and, you know, have had some conversations around wanting to ensure...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point there certainly has been some slippage in that timeline but it's owing, in part, due to some of the unanticipated challenges of truly working with the partners in this space. So I understand that there's significant efforts underway to work with NGOs and with Indigenous governments, community governments, others who are working collaboratively to ensure that the individual targets are appropriate to their communities so wanting to ensure that the ultimate timeline is aligned with the work that is happening on the ground. And so with that, it's...

No, thank you.

No, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 19, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, be read for the second time.

This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures at the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If that is the interest received, Mr. Chair, we had in 2023 -- I don't know that I have the -- well, I don't have the 2024-2025 actuals yet, Mr. Chair, but I can say we have revised upwards on interest. Obviously interest rates were pretty high last year, so -- and we do have -- so we have -- yes, we've revised it as of this time as being $4.454 million. In 2023-2024, it was a lot lower but, again, interest rates were pretty high. So we do maintain right now a 75 percent bond amount and that -- so, I mean, again, depending on where those bonds are but when interest rates...

Mr. Chair, if I could start with the director -- the deputy, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the budgeted line item of $6.1 million there has been that same value for -- well, some time anyways, but it is an estimate, and it is ultimately a projection, and it does depend a fair bit on what the state of the resource sector is doing and how healthy it is, and there can be quite a bit of fluctuation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Actually, Mr. Chair, if I might send that one over to our director, please.