Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the department for that answer. The price subsidies, are they based solely on market rates or is there a component where the trappers are canvassed on are they getting enough, and is it sustainable? Is there like a take-home survey kind of thing where the department is actually talking to the trappers and finding out how they feel it's working for them? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The process is primarily done internally. We do, as I mentioned, assess the market prices, and the advance amount that we provide to the harvesters is usually close to market price. There is the understanding that markets do fluctuate and, for the most part, the fur that's sold that meets the advance price, and goes back into the revolving fund. Any fur sold that's over the advance price, the trapper will receive those benefits. If fur is sold below the advance price that we give to the trappers, that's where the Government of the Northwest Territories absorbs those costs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is the department soliciting or receiving feedback from people benefitting from the program?
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of course, all of our harvesters that want to sell their fur bring it in to our offices. That allows a lot of opportunity for our officers to engage in discussions, not only about the trapping and on-the-land activities but on the fur pricing program. The majority of the comments over the years has been very positive for our department. Again, it's actually a world-renowned program, the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program, just because of the way it's structured and the guarantees to our harvesters. For the most part, we seldom receive negative comments on the program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Testart.
I don't believe the department would receive negative comments from MLAs on this program, either. It does seem to be quite sustainable and quite important to creating those jobs and economic opportunity in smaller communities, so I appreciate that it's working well and that it has a sustainable model. I believe those are all my questions, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Next I have Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. With the department sponsoring a lot of these programs and community assistance, does the department set aside funding for regional awareness workshops to initiate discussions about the programs and services and subsidies the department offers?
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, for example, the South Slave and the Dehcho, those two regions alternate these regional workshops on a two-year cycle. Further up the valley of course we work with our co-management partners. However, the workshops are not formal workshops like they are in the two southern regions, they're more ad hoc and there's other types of workshops where we talk to the harvesters. One of them is in the fire program area where we have, on an annual basis, forums where we want to hear from the people on our programs that relate to fire. Of course, when you talk fire, it's broader than that, there's impacts on harvesters, on compensation, et cetera. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To add to that, more specifically there's a Sahtu MOU signed this past June last year, June 25th, to initiate discussions of more efficiencies on a variety of programs set by this government identified in the MOU. I'm just wondering if there's funding available to exercise the MOU on the variety of services provided by the department and programs and grants? Has there been a workshop supporting the MOU identifying the programs and services, so it'll be better accessible or communication sharing of the programs underneath the MOU?
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not clear on the question, whether it's related to the broader MOU between the GNWT and Sahtu, or is it more on other MOUs in relation to maybe research or community-based monitoring, et cetera?
Thank you, Mr. Campbell. Mr. McNeely, could you clarify the question for Mr. Campbell?
Yes. Not so much in the other departments, but within this department, is there evidence I would say since the MOU was signed to exercise awareness through the workshops for the programs offered by this department? Is there funding set aside to hold workshops with the Sahtu communities?
I know there have been workshops where community members have come down to Yellowknife and done training towards community-based monitoring, and opportunities for building capacity in the Sahtu where they're completing the monitoring themselves. There's also some work going on related to some of the monitoring work in the Sahtu region and there have been discussions with industry and community members as well as ENR on those topics as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly. Mr. McNeely. No further questions from Mr. McNeely. Seeing no one on my list for page 88, we can continue on page 89, corporate management, active positions. Are there any comments or questions? Page 89.
Agreed
Looks like we're done with the corporate management division details, so we can go back to page 87. Are there any comments or questions on the operations expenditure summary? Mr. Thompson.
Just a couple questions. I noticed in fees and payments there's almost a $2,000,000 reduction. Can the Minister or his department explain why we have such a huge reduction in this area? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In fiscal year 2015-16, we had the settlement of a legal matter and that was an exceptional expenditure in that fiscal year.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you. Wow, that's expensive.
---Laughter
I hope we won't see any more of those. Contract services, could you explain what that involves? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Craig.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Those are the contracted services for the divisions within corporate management: contracts that may be lead by the directorate of policy and strategic planning, the field support unit, which is traditional, encompasses the traditional economy and traditional knowledge sections, and finance and administration.
Thank you, Ms. Craig. Mr. Thompson.
I thank Ms. Craig for the answer. I'm good, thank you.
Nothing further from Mr. Thompson. Are there any other comments or questions on page 87? Seeing none. Corporate management, operations expenditure summary, activity total $14,054,000. Agreed? Agreed. Mr. Thompson.
I'd like to report progress please.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
I'll now rise and report progress. Thank you, Minister, and I'll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses from the Chamber. We'll see you tomorrow.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, committee has been considering Tabled Document 50-18(2), Main Estimates, 2016-2017. I would like to report progress, and Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Do we have a seconder? Member for Nahendeh. Motion is in order. To the motion. A question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
Orders of the day for Wednesday, June 8, 2016, 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner's Opening Address
Replies to Budget Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 50-18(2), Main Estimates, 2016-2017
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Masi, Mr. Clerk. This House adjourns until Wednesday, June 8, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 6:18 p.m.
