Total department, not previously authorized: $3.518 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Transportation, Operations Expenditures, Total Department, not previously authorized: $3.518 million, approved.
Moving on to page 9, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Operations Expenditures, Corporate Management, not previously authorized: negative $33,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Operations Expenditures, Corporate Management, not previously authorized: negative $33,000, approved.
Minerals and Petroleum Resources, not previously authorized: $100,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Operations Expenditures, Minerals and Petroleum Resources, not previously authorized: $100,000, approved.
Economic Diversification and Business Support, not previously authorized: $555,000. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A couple of seconds ago I asked that question on the wrong page. I’d like to ask that exact same question on this page on this item.
Would the Minister of FMBS respond to the question asked previously.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, the area of this supplementary appropriation, as the Member has highlighted…. As we’ve budgeted for the fiscal year, we set aside in our fiscal framework an amount of dollars for supplementary appropriation. At times over the last number of years we’ve…. In fact, the Government of the Northwest Territories has gone over that initial amount.
This year, after being elected and starting to put the budget together, we took the $25 million initially allocated for the supplementary appropriation, and based on the drawdown or a percentage of the drawdown from departments, we took $15 million of that appropriation amount or that amount set aside for supplementary appropriations and gave it to departments. ITI’s share was $90,000 of that. Again, the drawdown represents a percentage across the departments. Obviously, because of the fact that we have exceeded the amount that was set in previous years’ supplementary appropriations, we are sticking to the $25 million figure less now the $15 million that’s been sent out to departments based on a percentage of the drawdown.
Outside of that, there are a number of things that we’re still having to deal with. The reason we did that, as the Member has pointed out…. The reason we’ve allocated part of the supp reserve to departments was so they could do their planning up front and do the budgeting exercise, not come in low and within months have to come in for a supplementary appropriation.
In this case is the fact that within ITI the Western Harvesters’ Assistance Program has been in existence since 1994. Initially it was set aside with matching dollars from communities and organizations — actually aboriginal organizations like hunters’ and trappers’ committees within those organizations — but they’d have to match their dollars before the money could be drawn down. That wasn’t put into the Department of ITI’s budget. It was a common practice to have them come back during the supplementary appropriation when they had signed agreements with the organizations. FMB would review those and agree to put them into the supplementary appropriation package for coming to the House.
As this budget we’re dealing with or the budget we’ve just finished dealing with…. The original planning process was put together, and we started the exercise in summer of last fiscal year. As a government, we have taken over that and made our changes through the budget exercise we’ve gone through. This has found its way on to clear up the amount they’d be needing for this year. So instead of, for example, as we break it down here, Deninu K’ue First Nation, Salt River First Nation, those would have originally come as one single item to a decision paper. It was felt that in this process this allowed the department some flexibility: instead of coming one at a time, to deal with them one time here through the supplementary appropriation.
Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That’s good. I understand the process. I kind of like the process that you’re implementing with respect to giving the $15 million to the departments so they can plan, and I understand the timing on this.
I still think this is something that the Department of ITI could have done some forecasting on and done some planning on. They could have planned for it in the normal budget process, and they wouldn’t be coming back. They had $10 million in supp, which is for emergencies. Now we have $9.5 million for emergencies. Every time we whittle it down on something that should have been or could have been known, I think we’re hurting ourselves down the line just in case we have emergencies — a major forest fire year, losing a bridge here, losing a bridge there, any of those things — which is what that $10 million should be used for.
I do have one question, though. You said that ITI’s portion of that $15 million is $90,000. That seems a little low: $90,000 based on $15 million for ITI doesn’t seem very high.
Mr. Chairman, I stand corrected. Their share is $190,000.
The breakdown — and I might as well give this to Members — was based on the percentage of the drawdown. For the departments that had the larger amounts of drawdown through the exercise over the year, we looked at that drawdown and applied it to the $15 million figure. For example, Executive Offices got $77,000; Human Resources, $800,000; Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, $54,000; the Financial Management Board Secretariat, $225,000; the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, $133,000; Finance, $57,000; Municipal and Community Affairs, $168,000; Public Works and Services, $1.381 million; Health and Social Services, $6.137 million; Justice, $1.362 million; Education, Culture and Employment, $2.464 million; Transportation, $1.61 million; ITI, $190,000; and Environment and Natural Resources, $342,000, for a total of $15 million.
As I stated earlier, those numbers don’t compare in a straight-across comparison because the drawdown in the supplementary appropriation over the last number of years has been significantly higher. We felt that on a percentage of drawdown, applying it in this way would allow departments to do the proper planning as we go forward.
As Members are aware, we’ve also set a 3 per cent growth rate, a 3.5 percent total growth rate of government expenditures over the next cycle of our business planning. We’re going to have to sit down and go through that business plan to see if we can in fact meet that target.
Thank you for all of that information. It’s very good. As I said, I liked the plan you put in with respect to distributing that money amongst the departments so they could plan for it accordingly.
No real question, but just a bit more of a statement. In the case of this particular item, as an example, it is something, in my opinion, that should have been able to be planned for. We’re probably going to approve it today. I see no reason not to approve it at this point, giving the department some credit, given the fact that the budget just came down and this is a new process.
In the future, as Cabinet comes to us with some of these supps where they’re asking us to draw down on that $10 million, it may not pass as easily, because we want to be sure that those items that are coming to us in the supps are in fact for emergencies: things that could not be nor would ever have been foreseen or planned for. That’s what we understood the intention was. If items come to us that clearly could have been planned for, we’ll definitely have a lot of questions on those areas, but in this case, due to the timing, not so much. I mean, it is our job to hold the government to account, so the plan was for emergencies. This doesn’t strike me as an emergency. In the future you’ll have to demonstrate to us why this one is an emergency if you’re going to expect us to put down our emergency $10 million fund.
Mr. Chairman, the plan we put in place will require discipline, and this process is a part of that. We would again look forward to trying to make sure we stick to the rules of the new way of doing business. Every supplementary appropriation would come before the House, and departments would have to stand the scrutiny, of course. We would use the same level of measure before even putting it into this document for Members to see.
It will require discipline. It's different from the traditional practice, and we're going to try hard to maintain that. It's going to be quite a jump from previous years' supplementary appropriation. From well over a $50 million drawdown — that's not the actual number; it was over that, but I would have to get that detail — to where we are now is a substantial change. We're going to have to work hard to live within that.
Thank you. On page 9 of the Supplementary Appropriation, No. 1, we're on Economic Diversification and Business Support, not previously authorized: $555,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Economic Diversification and Business Support, not previously authorized: $555,000, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $622,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Total Department, not previously authorized: $622,000, approved.
Environment and Natural Resources, Operations Expenditure, Corporate Management, not previously authorized: $305,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Environment and Natural Resources, Operations Expenditures, Corporate Management, not previously authorized: $305,000, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $305,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Environment and Natural Resources, Total Department, not previously authorized: $305,000, approved.
Moving on to page 11. Executive, Capital Investment Expenditures, Human Resources, not previously authorized, Employment Relations: $70,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Human Resources, Executive, Capital Investment Expenditures, Human Resources, Employment Relations, not previously authorized: $70,000, approved.
Total Human Resources, not previously authorized: $70,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Human Resources, Total Human Resources, not previously authorized: $70,000, approved.
To page 12. Executive, Capital Investment Expenditure, Financial Management Board Secretariat, Directorate, not previously authorized: $4.77 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Executive, Capital Investment Expenditures, Financial Management Board Secretariat, Directorate, not previously authorized: $4.77 million, approved.
Total Financial Management Board Secretariat, not previously authorized: $4.77 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Executive, Total Financial Management Board Secretariat, not previously authorized: $4.77 million, approved.
Total Executive, not previously authorized: $4.84 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Executive, Total Executive, not previously authorized: $4.84 million, approved.
Municipal and Community Affairs, Capital Investment Expenditure, Regional Operations, not previously authorized: $5.646 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Municipal and Community Affairs, Capital Investment Expenditures, Regional Operations, not previously authorized: $5.646 million, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $5.646 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Municipal and Community Affairs, Total Department, not previously authorized: $5.646 million, approved.
Moving on to page 14. Department of Public Works and Services, Capital Investment Expenditure, Asset Management, not previously authorized: $431,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Public Works and Services, Capital Investment Expenditures, Asset Management, not previously authorized: $431,000, approved.
Technology Service Centre, not previously authorized: $440,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Public Works and Services, Technology Service Centre, not previously authorized: $440,000, approved.
Petroleum Products, not previously authorized: $1.293 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Public Works and Services, Petroleum Products, not previously authorized: $1.293 million, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $2.164 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Public Works and Services, Total Department, not previously authorized: $2.164 million, approved.
Moving on to page 15. Health and Social Services, Capital Investment Expenditure, Program Delivery Support, not previously authorized: $2.38 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Health and Social Services, Capital Investment Expenditures, Program Delivery Support, not previously authorized: $2.38 million, approved.
Health Services Programs, not previously authorized: $11.696 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Health and Social Services, Health Services Programs, not previously authorized: $11.696 million, approved.
Community Health Programs, not previously authorized: $6.699 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Health and Social Services, Community Health Programs, not previously authorized: $6.699 million, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $20.775 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Health and Social Services, Total Department, not previously authorized: $20.775 million, approved.
Moving to page 16. Justice, Capital Investment Expenditure, Courts, not previously authorized: $670,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Justice, Capital Investment Expenditures, Courts, not previously authorized: $670,000, approved.
Community Justice and Corrections, not previously authorized: $582,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Justice, Community Justice and Corrections, not previously authorized: $582,000, approved.
Services to the Public, not previously authorized: $383,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Justice, Services to the Public, not previously authorized: $383,000, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $1.635 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Justice, Total Department, not previously authorized: $1.635 million, approved.
Moving on to page 17. Education, Culture and Employment, Capital Investment Expenditure, Education and Culture, not previously authorized: $25.454 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Education, Culture and Employment, Capital Investment Expenditures, Education and Culture, not previously authorized: $25.454 million, approved.
Advanced Education and Careers, not previously authorized: $3.157 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Education, Culture and Employment, Advanced Education and Careers, not previously authorized: $3.157 million, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $28.611 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Education, Culture and Employment, Total Department, not previously authorized: $28.611 million, approved.
On page 18. Transportation, Capital Investment Expenditure, Airports, not previously authorized: $9.4 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Transportation, Capital Investment Expenditures, Airports, not previously authorized: $9.4 million, approved.
Highways, not previously authorized: $30.615 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Transportation, Highways, not previously authorized: $30.615 million, approved.
Continuing on page 19. Marine, not previously authorized: $484,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Transportation, Marine, not previously authorized: $484,000, approved.
Road Licensing and Safety, not previously authorized: $329,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Transportation, Road Licensing and Safety, not previously authorized: $329,000, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $40.828 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Transportation, Total Department: $40.828 million, approved.
Moving on to page 20. Industry, Tourism and Investment, Capital Investment Expenditure, Tourism and Parks, not previously authorized: $1.161 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Tourism and Parks: $1.161 million, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $1.161 million.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Industry, Tourism and Investment, Total Department, not previously authorized: $1.161 million, approved.
Page 21. Environment and Natural Resources, Capital Investment Expenditure, Corporate Management, not previously authorized: $267,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Environment and Natural Resources, Capital Investment Expenditures, Corporate Management, not previously authorized: $267,000, approved.
Forest Management, not previously authorized: $226,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Environment and Natural Resources, Forest Management, not previously authorized: $226,000, approved.
Wildlife, not previously authorized: $192,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Environment and Natural Resources, Wildlife, not previously authorized: $192,000, approved.
Total Department, not previously authorized: $685,000.
Bill 18, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, Environment and Natural Resources, Total Department, not previously authorized: $685,000, approved.
Mr. Ramsay.
