Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I have also raised my concern with respect to the idea of doing base budgeting and incremental budgeting, which is exactly why I am proposing to do the government renewal initiative and do a value-based budgeting. I am not proposing to simply come in and pick one area or another without evidence and without knowing what the values are and then say we are going to make adjustments. That, to me, is not the right way to make policy changes.

This is a particular item where it is an item that lapses if it is not received because it is owed to Aboriginal parties, and it...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, so this is showing only the debt that is owing and the principal on the debt that is owing. The operations budget for Stanton would come in under the Health and Social Services authority. I would expect, Madam Chair, that we likely could put a total project analysis together. Madam Chair, actually, Deputy Minister Kalgutkar was actually quite involved on the Stanton project. Perhaps, I would suggest, he could also give a bit more clarity to MLA Martselos.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair, it does. The briefing materials I have in front of me don't go through it, and I don't want to misstate it. I remember from just looking at it myself that the introductory materials, both in terms of the materials online as well as the materials in the workbook that accompanies it, are aware and alive to having some sensitivity to trauma-informed practice. What I would suggest, Madam Chair, I think it is something I also agree is very important. I will commit to just getting more details on exactly the extent of what's included in the materials for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that, when the Heritage Fund Act was initially put into place, it actually did not include a requirement for the report to be tabled or provided. However, when the act was amended and with a new Financial Administration Act in force, and I believe that would have been in 2016, from that date forward, the reports have, in fact, been published and brought forward by the Department of Finance and that indeed those reports are contained in section 3 of the public accounts, which does get tabled every year, and that 2018-2019, 2017-2018, and back to 2016...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The travel budget as it is approximately, over time, roughly over 80 percent of it tends to be Northwest Territories-based travel, and I do expect that travel within the territory will be increasing with more frequency over the coming months and certainly over this fiscal year as compared to last. With respect to the remainder or the other portion of the travel budget, certainly in the past, it has been a critical part of being able to attend to Ottawa, for instance, for FPT or federal-provincial-territorial meetings, which certainly have moved online. While I would...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do have the numbers here in front of me. We had 391 applications coming from 94 different businesses to just over 2,100-and-some individuals. This was for all workers 15 years and over. Somebody who is 16 is not necessarily in a situation where they need to be making a living wage if they're still living at home, and it does also include people who are working in the service sector where -- it's not a statement but simply a pro or con to this -- they may well be in a situation of making tips on top of wages.

I think the point is that there is some more analysis that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Fiscal Responsibility Policy right now is not certainly part of any of the active reviews that are under way. Certainly, the Department of Finance, in general, which is responsible for management of the borrowing plan of the Fiscal Responsibility Policy is part of what we will be getting under some review in the next coming months.

Madam Chair, I just would note that even on projects that are large projects, they would have the debt amortized over the course of time regardless. There are other public accounting techniques that would demonstrate when there's a large...

Thank you, Madam Chair. There has been significant work done to revamp, redevelop the cultural awareness sensitivity training under what would now be termed or called, Living Well Together. It is an online program which does allow it to roll out across the GNWT to all public servants. It is expected that this is going to be mandatory for public service to complete. Madam Chair, I've had an advanced screening of it, and I've had a chance to look through the product. It was done in consultation with Indigenous governments, Indigenous communities across the Northwest Territories, so I believe it...

This is another occasion where, although the Department of Finance, specifically within human resources, may give guidance on the matter, it does go down to each department. Each department does have their individual deputy minister specifically assigned to undertake the approval of these forms and then may well delegate that to senior managers.

Mr. Speaker, there does need to be some flexibility certainly. We would want to ensure that when there is an individual in a particular region making an application or making a request of this sort that the individual making the approval understands the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That, really, I anticipate, would be a question for the Premier and certainly all of Cabinet, not one that I am going to be in a position to answer here, but obviously, the matter can go to Cabinet in due course. That's a bigger conversation that, again, I have nothing else to unfortunately assist the Member with here today. Thank you.