So I’ll repeat my last question and add it to this question here. Is there any background information to support anything publicly that’s available that we can actually validate these fees that we’re acquiring here as a territory vis-à-vis what we received from AANDC? Thank you.
We’ll provide to committee the methodology that was used in the negotiations with AANDC to determine the breakdown of these different line items. Thank you.
I appreciate the Minister’s response on that. Again, these are new entries, so I think we need to get a baseline. What we’re acquiring here as we’re passing this budget, we also have administration services at $32,000, again with no previous history whatsoever. Can the Minister describe what this entry is all about?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Director Magrum.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This item refers to some administrative services that are going to be provided by the Department of Finance, financial shared services. In 2014-15 we’re recording that as revenue from the Environment Fund and then the Department of ENR transfers that amount over to the Department of Finance. Thank you.
Thank you, director. Mr. Dolynny.
No, thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Minister.
Thank you, committee. We’re on page 13-9, information item, revenue summary. Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Chair, I want to ask about the Environment Fund net revenue. It’s showing $150,000. Is this a new fund? Okay, 2013-14 revised estimates isn’t showing any. Can I get maybe a brief description on as to this fund and this purpose and how it’s being used, who pays into the fund? I know if a company has been charged and convicted of a violation of environmental issues that they pay into the Environment Fund. Is that correct? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Director Magrum.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I can refer the Member to page 13-40, which is the information item for the Environment Fund, the revenue item is the current year’s surplus for the 2014-15 Main Estimates. The Environment Fund consists of our Beverage Container Program, the Milk Container Program, the Single Use Retail Bag Environmental Program and we collect fees from soft drink companies, juice companies and then the public returns their empty containers to recycling depots, and this amount of money is the Environment Fund. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Magrum. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you. I certainly appreciate the clarification on this. I do want to ask the question then, I’m not too sure if I’m on the right page with this, in regard to companies that are charged and convicted of any type of environmental violation. Is there a fund that they pay into that is used to deal with this type of issue and cleanup and remediation? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There’s not a fund that I’m aware of. If they are charged and found guilty, in all probability there would be a fine and they would be tasked with doing the remediation. We also have our own security deposits that we have for specific projects. But there’s no fund, as far as I’m aware, that we pay into like the one we do here that we’re talking about right now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Minister. I see that in another avenue here. Okay, time is up.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Committee, we’re on 3-19, information item, revenue summary. Any questions?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Page 13-10, information item, active position summary. Any questions?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, 13-13, activity summary, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, $11.369 million. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Page 13-14, activity summary, corporate management, grants and contributions, $965,000. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of quick ones here. I see the IRMA program has ended and I know that was an important contribution to some of our Aboriginal communities. Is there a replacement? I believe that those were federal dollars. Is there anything being put in place in that stead?
And I’ll just ask my other one here. I want a bit of an explanation of the core funding for the NWT Water Board. How is that amount derived and does it include all costs like for the three-person little subcommittees that we’re planning on having for project-specific things and so on? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are taking over the IRMA program. It has been renamed, we find it on 13-34, I believe, when we get to it and its worth about $1.6 million.
In regards to the NWT Water Board I’ll ask Ms. Magrum if she wants to provide that information. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Ms. Magrum.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The amount for the NWT Water Board was, again, an average amount that we received from AANDC over the last few years and it does include four positions and the operational costs required for the Water Board. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Magrum. Mr. Bromley.
I thought it was an average cost for the last several years and there are four positions. Again, I believe the board is about 12 people. Is that right, or is it five people? Maybe I could get that figured out. Just with four positions for the board that would obviously be about $500,000, probably more, and any travel would eat up a considerable amount. Then there are the board members on top of that. It just seems like an awfully good deal to me. I’d be happy if that’s the full cost though. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. We’ll go to Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’ll just dig out that detailed information in terms of the positions and the other costs to see and we’ll provide that to committee. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Committee, we’re on page 13-14, activity summary, corporate management, grants and contributions, $965,000.
Agreed.
Thank you. Page 13-15, information item, corporate management, active positions. Any questions?
Agreed.
Seeing none, page 13-17, activity summary, environment, operations expenditure summary, $8.197 million. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. A very important division here. I have a number of questions. There are a number of strategies that the department is looking after. The Greenhouse Gas Strategy, the Solar Strategy, for example, and I’m wondering if I can get an update on where we are with those in terms of their renewal period and what sort of evaluation. What are we achieving in terms of the goals set out? Are we on target? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. For that response we’ll go to Mr. Campbell.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Both those strategies are up for renewal in 2015.
Just in terms of there are specific goals and objectives there. I think with the Solar Strategies I think it was five communities with 20 percent, the five thermal communities with 20 percent of our solar generation meeting the load and a couple of communities, 75 percent or something in that order. The Greenhouse Gas Strategy I believe it was, I can’t remember specifically, it was a little bit waffley, so it’s hard to remember that one. But are we able to say where we’re at in terms of achieving those and an explanation of that? Thank you.
Thank you. The exact numbers for the Solar Strategy in the communities there, we’ll have to get that on that one. On the Greenhouse Gas Strategy, the target there was 1,500 kilotons by 2015, which was equivalent to our 2005 numbers and at this point, yes, we are on target to meet that.
Thank you. I recall that now. It was the one that we had already achieved when we set that because of the recession, and I suspect that’s not likely true any longer with the amount of oil and gas exploration activity and mineral development activity we have, the number of new mines coming on. So it would be good to get an update. I know this information is not up to date. Perhaps the Minister could commit to getting the up-to-date information, and what is our plan. Are there dollars in the budget for renewing these strategies?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’ll provide an update to committee on the Greenhouse Gas Strategy as well as next steps and, as well, with the Solar Strategy.
In terms of the budget before us, are there dollars here to start work on renewing these strategies in this fiscal year given that this fiscal year covers the date that they will be ending?
There are no direct funds allocated at this point in this budget for the renewal process.
Will we be starting these renewals with existing funds?
