Thank you, Madam Chair. I just had to get clarification with my department to make sure that the co-investment fund is only when we speak about the housing. My understanding is that it is. That is a policy that will have to be defined within the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. However, once that is defined, all needs, including that, will be brought forward to the federal government. It is important that we keep reinstating our needs, reinstating how we are working better with Indigenous and community governments and the NGO sector, as we move forward. In my first engagements with all federal Ministers and our Prime Minister, they were totally ecstatic that this government is changing the way that we are doing business, that we are actually looking at partnerships, and that is something that I will carry forward for the whole of my term. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, I hope that all that excitement turns into dollars for us, so that we can get some programs and help the people of the NWT. I just want to turn to the friendship centres, I guess, and NGOs. The Premier talked previously about how we need to make sure that the dollars we are spending are providing a quality service and that there is accountability there. Well, I think we have to balance that, as well, with what we are requiring for accountability, because we don't want these NGOs to get bogged down in red tape.
To me, I would look at it and I think, "Well, if we got their financial statements at the end of the year and see, kind of, what they spend their money," that would, in most instances, suffice. For instance, in Hay River, I think that friendship centre brings in, maybe, $130,000 from the feds for maintenance of the building, operations, and for one staff person. That is $130,000 for about a 4,000-square-foot building. Then they have another five staff, which is basically paid for by programs. Really, when you look at it, we have six, seven jobs there, and then there are some part-time jobs there for very little money. They are working within tight budgets and delivering some fantastic programs for the community. The question I have is: when we are talking about the NWT friendship centres, I am wondering, this goes for all the NGOs we are talking about that have "NWT" in front of them, are we talking NWT friendship centres, or are we talking Yellowknife friendship centres? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We are talking NWT-wide friendship centres. Yellowknife, I didn't even think we had one, but we do have one, the Tree of Peace here. We are talking right across the board. When we talk about measurable outcomes, I will expand on that, as well. I am not okay with just giving even $100,000 to people and saying, "There you go. Give me your financial statement," but I also think that measurable outcomes don't have to be a 50-page document. It can be as simple as you keep your door open from 9:00 to 5:00, Monday to Friday, and you provide services to the public. There has to be something. I have heard stories where organizations take money and then they close their doors or they open when they want. That is not what we want to see. We are committed to breaking down our red tape. It doesn't have to be a 50-page document when we're talking about measurable outcomes. It can be very simple. This is public money, so there should be some qualifiers when we give money out the door. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you for that answer. I agree. There always has to be some accountability, I think just the degree of it and what our expectations are. Because we can send a message at this level, but the bureaucracy then takes it and sometimes it gets skewed. I have a problem with the accountability part. As long as we don't get carried away and we are taking away from the people who are the end users at the end of the day.
I just have a comment with respect to negotiations in the claims process. People, two elections ago, they voted for change. They got it, and they weren't too happy. This year, again, they voted for change. We know negotiations are ongoing. We know things are slowly moving ahead. People want to see something different. They want some fresh ideas. How can we speed this up, or can we even speed it up, or is it just going to continue to stay bogged down with respect to bureaucracy and indecision? I have hope and belief that this government will find a way to make change and to work with Indigenous governments in a positive manner to move ahead. If we don't, this territory is in trouble. Looking back, it is a comment. Thank you, Madam Chair. That is all I have.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. I will take that as a comment. Are there any further questions for Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs? Seeing no further questions, please turn to page 122. Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $7,727,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, Members. Please return now to the departmental summary on page 105. Executive and Indigenous Affairs, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $22,886,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Does committee agree that consideration of the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs is complete?
Agreed.
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to your witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses out of the Chamber. Committee, we will take a five-minute break.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we will call this meeting back to order. We will now consider the Legislative Assembly. Does the Speaker have any opening remarks?
Yes, I do, Madam Chair. Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present the 2020-2021 Main Estimates for the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly is seeking an operations expenditures appropriation of $22,720,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. This is an increase of $277,000, or a 1.23 percent increase, in funding from the 2019-2020 Main Estimates.
This budget represents the important work we will undertake during the upcoming fiscal year. The proposed funding will be used to advance strategic initiatives and address forced-growth matters. These are:
additional staff resources for our statutory offices to meet increasing demands;
additional funding for the Office of the Clerk for staff resources and communication initiatives; and
to address Members' compensation and allowances based on the consumer price index.
The Legislative Assembly remains committed to supporting the good work of our statutory offices. With new legislation coming into force and better public awareness, our statutory offices are experiencing increasing and more complex caseloads. The Legislative Assembly is keenly aware of the importance of these offices having the resources needed to meet these demands.
Due to recent amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner will be required to take on additional responsibilities and oversight obligation. It will change from a body with recommendation-making power only to an adjudicative role with authority to issue binding orders where the act applies. The increase in compensation to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner reflects these increased responsibilities.
The Ombud Act was passed during the 18th Assembly after more than two decades of calls by Northerners for the creation of a parliamentary Ombud office. On November 18, 2019, the NWT Office of the Ombud officially opened in Hay River. Setting up this office outside of Yellowknife sends a strong signal that this office is for the whole territory and further helps and promotes decentralization. The office consists of a team of three: the Ombud, an intake officer, and an early resolution officer.
Madam Chair, the Special Committee on Transition Matters in the 18th Assembly recommended that additional resources be provided to support the important work of our committees, specifically noting the need for an additional committee clerk, legislative research advisor, and communication support. The Office of the Clerk operations expenditures has been increased to account for these three new positions.
In closing, I want to thank all Members, my colleagues from the Board of Management, and the Assembly staff for their contributions and efforts in working towards these main estimates. Thank you, Madam Chair. This concludes my opening remarks, and I look forward to answering any questions that Members may have. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Speaker wish to bring any witnesses into the House?
Yes, I do. Thank you.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witness in. Mr. Speaker, would you please introduce your witnesses?
Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today, we have Ms. Kim Wickens, deputy clerk of Members and Precinct Services, and also, my right-hand man, Mr. Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will now open the floor to general comments on the Legislative Assembly. If there are no further comments, does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary. We are going to begin on page 8, expenditures on behalf of Members. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am just curious, comparing Members' pension expenses from 2019-2020, why we actually appear to be spending less on our pensions.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. I will hand it over to Mr. Mercer.
Mr. Mercer.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The pension contribution for Members is actually divided into two segments. The Members' pension expense is actually an accounting adjustment that is done to the pension plan every year. It reflects, basically, the change in assets and liabilities on the balance sheet of the consolidated revenue fund. That accounting adjustment has gone down. However, within the Members' operating expenses, there is a segment of the annual cash contribution to the pension plan which has actually increased by $500,000. They don't fully offset each other. The accounting adjustment is largely just a bookkeeping entry, but, in fact, under the Members' operating expenses, there has been an increase in the cash contribution this year of $500,000. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Mercer. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see here that the Members' compensation and allowances has increased based on the consumer price index. Can I just get a sense of how that policy works, and is that happening year over year?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Mr. Speaker.
Yes, every year, it goes up by 2 percent, roughly.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to confirm that that is as set out in the Legislative and Executive Council Act?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Mr. Speaker.
Yes, that's correct.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member for Yellowknife North.
No further questions.
Are there any further questions on expenditures on behalf of Members? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I know that one of the recommendations from the Independent Commission to Review Members' Compensation and Benefits -- I may not get the name of it right -- was to look at the issue of benefits for constituency assistants and to actually include that as a program that we would offer constituency assistants. Is this where I would find that, and can someone point me to the line item where that might show an increase? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you. That falls under Members' operating expenses. The total amount is actually $67,000 for CA benefits, and that's through NEBS, which comes out of the budget, your constituency budget. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks. No, that’s good to know. Thanks, I don’t have any further question. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Any further questions on expenditures on behalf of Members? Seeing no further questions, please turn to page 9, Legislative Assembly, expenditures on behalf of Members, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $9,530,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Turning to Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, beginning on page 10. Questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. There are some fairly significant changes here. I know that last year, 2019-2020, of course was an election year, so I would expect to see a big increase in expenditures for the year. It has dropped down to $439,000 for 2020-2021, which is lower than the actuals for 2018-2019. Can I get an explanation as to what is happening here? Thanks, Madam Chair. Then I flip the page. I see that there were three full-time staff last year, and now there are no staff. What’s happening here? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. As most of the contracts expire at the end of March, due to our post-election year, a lot of the contracts are until a few months after the election or the following year, but we will have one staff, a returning deputy officer on staff, and a part-time position, as well. Thank you.
