Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is more like general comments as opposed to what we are on, but I am curious to know, I guess, just to have the Minister indicate, or the Premier, whether or not the federal government is amenable to splitting devolution discussions from resource revenue sharing.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be speculating, at this point, what I would say in this area of devolution and revenue sharing. Since it was an approach of this government with the aboriginal leadership in the past to combine those, that is the table that I think we would undertake the work to see if we should pursue one area, if it is devolution first for consideration, and I believe that is where we will be heading towards, at least a discussion on when we get together, let’s look at a way forward, how we re-engage the federal government on this file. On that basis to see if we would in fact continue with the same pattern, that is devolution and resource revenue sharing, or look at going with the authority portion first and that would be devolution. Thank you.
I am not really clear whether or not we can split it from the response, but I assume that we can. Can one of these pieces, whether it be resource revenue sharing or devolution, be negotiated to completion without the other one being negotiated to a completion? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe that can be done, if that is the will of the leaders in the Northwest Territories to pursue one part of this agreement. Again, it was by design of our government, the past Government of the Northwest Territories and the regional leadership to come up with this combined approach, but I believe it can be separated if that is the will of the leadership in the Territory. Thank you.
This is along the same line and more as to maybe the next steps of questions from Mr. Hawkins. I am curious to know if the Minister is going to present to committee reworked numbers than what was there previously from other governments on the devolution and resource revenue pieces. I was wondering if the government or the Premier would look at what type of impacts, positive impacts that could be accrued at the regional and small community levels as well.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The work that we could present would be work that has been done leading up to the proposal of devolution and resource revenue sharing. We haven’t done revised numbers since then, but that is the starting point for us and we could see if we want to go down that avenue. I would like to confirm that before we put what limited resources we have into updating numbers, is to make sure that we agree, as northern leaders, that, in fact, this path should be gone down and there would be support to bring one of these or both of these to a conclusion in our time. Thank you.
Thank you, Premier Roland. Committee, we are on general comments, Department of Executive. Hearing no general comments, does committee agree that we have concluded general comments?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Does committee agree to go to detail?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will defer the operations expenditure summary, program summary on page 2-7. We will start on page 2-8, information item, Executive, infrastructure investment summary. Questions? Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am just trying to understand where this Contracts Over $5,000 Report for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2009... I am just wondering, there is an item in here Yellowknife liquor warehouse for $7 million in the contract registry here. How come that doesn’t show up in the actuals anywhere in this year’s main estimates in the 2008-2009 actuals? It should have that amount in there and I am just wondering why it doesn’t. I couldn’t find it anyway. Maybe there is an explanation for it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Premier Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Liquor Commission doesn’t fall under the Executive, that falls under the Finance department and if it was to be accounted for it would be accounted for in that area, but probably under the Liquor Commission Revolving Fund is a possibility of that but not under Executive. Thank you.
I want to thank the Minister for that. That’s probably the case so I’ll have some more questions as we go here. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Committee, we’re on page 2-8, I believe. Information item and infrastructure investment summary. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 2-9, information item, revenue summary.
Agreed.
Page 2-10, information item, Executive, active position summary.
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Page 2-13, activity summary, Executive. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just one more question and I don’t know, I guess I could ask it on this page but… Well, actually, I’ll wait until we get back to operations expenditure summary, Mr. Chairman. It fits better there so I’ll wait.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. We are on operations expenditure summary, page 2-13, activity summary, directorate, $839,000. Mr. Ramsay.
I guess it relates to this, too, so I’ll ask it. In that contract registry and reporting system it shows $1.238 million under contracted services. Now, I know there’s only a portion of it that shows up there, but under the operations expenditure listing for the department, that number is $1.224 million. So we’re about $14,000 out, and I’m just wondering why the actuals that show up in the 2008-09 Main Estimates in this book don’t correlate with the contract registry. It’s out by about $14,000, and I’m just wondering why that is.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Minister Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the general operations and maintenance, under contracts, I’m trying to get further detail on that. We have contract services of $902,000 where he’s going back to 2008-09 actuals of $1.224 million. I’d have to get that information. I’d have to get the details on the difference there of what’s actuals versus what’s in the contracts registry department. The contracts registry area, the report is developed by ITI, I believe. Thank you.
I don’t need an explanation today, but I’m just wondering why that number wouldn’t be almost exactly like the one that’s in the contract amount under the Department of Executive for that year, 2008-09, and in the main estimates here under 2008-09, under actual. It’s out, like I said, by about $14,000, $15,000. But I can get that information later. It’s fine. Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. I understand the Minister will be getting back to you with that information.
Thank you, committee. Page 2-13, activity summary, directorate, operations expenditure summary, Department of Executive, $839,000.
Agreed.
Page 2-14, activity summary, Executive, directorate, grants and contributions, grants, $150,000.
Agreed.
Contributions, $35,000. Total grants and contributions, $185,000. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m just wondering, again, this isn’t in this year’s budget, but under the contract registry there are two items for food catering for NAWS II. One’s for NAWS II and the other one is for NAWS II feast. That totals about $70,000. I’m just wondering what event did we cater that cost $70,000. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Premier Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, that’s the work that we hosted the second National Aboriginal Women’s Summit here in Yellowknife. We hosted about 300 aboriginal women from across Canada as the second part of that program and that was helping us offset our food costs, as well as the feast that was held for the group, I believe at the Yellowknife River. Thank you.
I’m trying to do 300 into $70,000 real quick. It seems like a very expensive undertaking, but is it the department’s practice to book expenses like this under contracted services? I can see another department perhaps doing it, but I’m just wondering, it doesn’t seem like the right fit under the Department of Executive, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Just for clarity, are we on page 2-14, grants and contributions.
I like to think so, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. I’ll let the Premier respond.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the National Aboriginal Summit was because under the Executive we have the native women’s and our women’s groups and support through the Department of Executive. An agreement was entered into to host a second conference. The contract, as highlighted, would have been for the whole series of meals provided through that conference. It wasn’t just one or two meals, but it wrapped up with a feast. So it was, I believe, in total would have been about three days for arrivals and then departures and supporting that conference. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Committee, once again, we’re on page 2-14, activity summary, directorate, grants and contributions, grants, $150,000; contributions, $35,000; total grants and contributions, $185,000.
Agreed.
Page 2-15, information item, Department of Executive, directorate, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 2-17, activity summary, Executive, Ministers’ offices, operations expenditure summary, $3.187 million. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m just wondering under -- and I am on 2-17 -- just looking for an explanation on the 2008-09 actuals are $332,000 under contract services, and it’s dropped substantially to $158,000 in the 2010-11 mains. I’m just wondering, maybe -- I think that’s probably a good thing -- but maybe just an explanation on why. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Minister Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the area of the contract services, there are a number of contracts that carried over from the start of this government. We entered into a number of contracts to help us establish our links between ourselves and Ottawa, as well as provincial governments and some of the initiatives we were undertaking. What’s happened there is those contracts have ended and not been renewed.
