Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 19, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, this is not health care specific though certainly does have some significant numbers, I believe, in -- or some numbers within health care of the folks accessing this. It is generally for staff -- existing staff was the other question. So it is for existing GNWT employees and is an opportunity means by which to support employees as they are wanting to move up in the organization by providing them, if there's a gap in a certification or a gap in a particular area, that they can obtain that through this program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the previous amount of $13 million is what the budget amount would have been. So back 2023-2024, likely you would have seen -- and I don't have it here or recall, but in 2023-2024 the actual budgeted amount, I believe, was significantly lower than what the actuals wound up being. You would see a change to revised if we brought a sup. In past years, we were, I know certainly in some years, able to cover internally increased costs in medical travel within the department. The last few years have seen a number of cost increases, not the least of which is an...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, again, Mr. Chair, the department does have folks who have been involved with the file and with the evolution of the federal carbon tax system for quite some time, since its early inception. They were able to respond when there were changes coming out from the federal government in the last couple of years, more than once, and those same individuals, Mr. Chair, continue to monitor what comments are being made. But until we know with some finality if we're dealing with no carbon tax, if we're dealing with a modified carbon tax, if we're dealing with only an industrial...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am definitely going to have to see if we can run that analysis. I suspect we can, but just breaking down, then, the number that you see here for this area and breaking it down in terms of technology services centre, how much of that is our staffing compensation and benefits versus others. So, again, certainly happy to provide that, and I think it does then get tabled to the House. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 20, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 2, 2024-2025, be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, Mr. Speaker, we did at the initial stage of having the Restoring Balance framework go out, and, again, it was the first time ever that a fiscal strategy for an Assembly was actually made public and was made the subject of a fairly public announcement, because we wanted to get feedback, wanted to get feedback particularly from public servants who are well placed often to know where efficiencies lie. We received an enormous amount of feedback, and we have continued to receive some feedback over the course of the last year. But, again, certainly always encourage...

Thank you. March 2025. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, let me send that first to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there are contingencies built into the fiscal strategy. You know, for example, even just knowing around that there might be -- you know, going into collective agreement, bargaining, it's factored in. This -- yes, an $11 million in revenue, I certainly don't want to understate that that would not be something to take lightly. At the same time, on, you know, a budget that is almost $2.7 billion, that amount of revenue change overall is one that can be managed throughout the course of the year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.