Thank you, Madam Chair. On an annual basis, if you look at our main estimates this year, we are estimating an increase of $35 million just towards utilities on an annual basis. That's for pretty much all government buildings in the Northwest Territories. I am pretty sure it is. If you look at the budget here, there is an increase, and I am stressing the increase of $2.5 million, the increase for Stanton Territorial Hospital utilities and increase for the electrical costs. Because Stanton just came on board in this fiscal year, we have perhaps not budgeted in the previous years such a high increase. That's the increase in the utilities. It is captured under all regional operations, such as utilities and leases. All that is captured in this area of the budget. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
On page 251, also, is the lease for the monthly payment or yearly payment within that lease for Stanton, also? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. The Department of Infrastructure looks after leases, as well, for the majority of the departments here. We are looking at such a large increase this year because we are looking at the Stanton legacy and the Child and Family Services program and the temporary student housing funding for Education, Culture and Employment. The increase this year is quite a bit. It's $3.4 million for increases in those facilities, but yes, we do cover a lot of the leases, including Stanton. I think that's what the Member is asking. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Madam Chair, for clarity, the lease payments for Stanton, the main hospital and the legacy building that we don't own anymore, are part of this lease payment in here? Am I correct, Madam Chair?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The quick answer is no, but I want to have ADM Brennan explain a little bit more on some of the details. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. ADM Brennan.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks to the Minister for her original answer. She is right that the Stanton legacy is included in the lease payment, and all of the leases are operated through regions in charge of the regional budgets. The Stanton hospital, the new building, what the Member is asking about, is not included in this budget. I do believe that it's in the Department of Finance. I am not entirely sure, but I know it's not in the Department of Infrastructure. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Thebacha.
For clarity, Madam Chair, the lease payment for the legacy building is in this budget. What is the yearly payment for the lease for the legacy building that we do not own anymore? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On a yearly basis for the lease for the Stanton legacy building, we pay $1,821,000 a year. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Madam Chair, that would be fine if it was owned by a northern business. I am very pro-business, and I believe in making sure that businesses survive in the North. When it's paid to an outside firm, these tremendous amounts, especially when we used to own the building, that is unacceptable. I don't know how people thought about these things, especially with the legacy building because we owned it. Now, we don't, and now, we are paying that amount of lease on it. We are using public funds, and that, to me, is very unacceptable. It's just a comment. I want to see what the Minister has to say about that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. When I was going through some of the briefings just five months into the department, I was looking at some of the costs that Infrastructure pays on behalf of, perhaps, other departments or just in general. Just a few minutes ago, I stressed some of my frustration on how much we pay for utilities in some of these Infrastructure buildings, but not only that, the leases. I hear the Member's concern. Sometimes, the decisions were made prior to this Assembly, and we are just having to work with whatever decisions were made in the past. Unfortunately, this is something that we need to look at further because that is a lot of money coming out of government coffers and taxpayers. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I understand it's past Assemblies that made these kinds of discussions. I hope that future Assemblies do not make the same mistakes, especially when you're not dealing with companies that are from the Northwest Territories. We have to stress that northern ownership is the ultimate when it comes to public dollars. I think that, many times, it's easy to grandstand on certain buildings, and red carpets are rolled out for these people who are not from the North. When it's a northern company, we always have to cross the t's and dot the i's and everything else to have a foot in the door. I think that is not acceptable. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister, did you have any comments?
Thank you, Madam Chair. No. I hear the Member's concern about the costs associated with this. I do have some notes, if I can share, on the Stanton Territorial Hospital renewal project, which is meant to accommodate growth projections within the next 30 years. It is, the Member is right, a partnership between the Boreal Health and GNWT. I believe the service provider for the facility is Dexterra. There are services, such as 72 long-term care beds, 18 extended care beds, and there are a number of programs that are going into this building. I will just leave it at that, Madam Chair. I think it was a comment, but I wanted to add just a couple more notes. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Any further questions under regional operations? I'm going to just go to the information items. If Members want to look at page 254, right up to 265. Those are the information items. If you want to ask questions on that, Members. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm looking at the Infrastructure stuff on page 254. Specifically, I am looking at other operations. Any time I see "other" or "miscellaneous," it always kind of piques my interest. Can the Minister just expand on what that line item speaks to? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to switch that over to ADM Brennan. Thank you.
Thank you. ADM Brennan.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The $16.3 million that the Member is asking about is mostly computer hardware and software. Approximately $15.7 million is computer hardware and software, and there are some other services in there, such as a little bit of travel for $180,000, purchase services, some contracts for $100,000, and just other miscellaneous items. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I heard several items that were mentioned there. I am just wondering why they are not laid out that way instead of just saying "other operations"? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to ask ADM Brennan just to speak to why things are organized in this manner because it becomes confusing for me, as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. ADM Brennan.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't think I have a good answer for this other than that is the format of the main estimates that has been provided to the department. We can bring that comment back. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
In that list, I heard "contracts." Could the Minister just expand on what type of contracts are in this other operations section? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Without me spending too much time finding it here in all of the different pages, I am going to ask ADM Brennan if he can find it within his notes. Thank you.
Thank you. ADM Brennan.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, contract services is $100,000. Most of the work that is done by the technology service centre is done in-house, so this takes care of all of the, basically, network, hardware, mobile devices for the GNWT. Occasionally, some money is needed to consult contractors to come in and assist on some of that work there. It's basically $100,000 that is for work that we can't do ourselves. Sometimes, it's due to capacity issues, and sometimes, it's for a special skill set that we don't have. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That gives me a little bit more clarity. Thank you. The other item that I looked at is "other public agencies" on the same page. Can the Minister just explain what other public agencies they are making reference to in this line item? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to ask Deputy Minister Loutitt to explain that. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Loutitt.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The other public agencies are our health boards and education boards. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can the Minister just explain what the split is between those two categories? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
