Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I did want to say that I recognize this is a substantial carry-over, but I recognize also that I think we had a very substantial amount, I think over half a billion dollars, of infrastructure last year that we were taking on and the actual proportion moving forward is relatively modest. Nevertheless, because it’s such a large amount, it is a lot of work that hasn’t got done.
Just homing in on one specific here, I’d like to focus on the Dettah access road reconstruction. I’m happy to see that we’ve been able to carry over and carry forward the dollars for this project. It seems that we’ve actually carried forward almost all of them and not spent any. I’m wondering what’s happening. Are there barriers to getting the work done? I know we had opportunities for some good cooperative partnerships there. Maybe I could just get a status report on the Dettah Road Access Reconstruction Project.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Just a reminder that we’re on general comments to the opening remarks, but I will allow the question, which seems a bit more like a detail question. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll, with your indulgence, refer that question to Minister Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Minister Michael McLeod.
Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct that the bulk of the dollars earmarked for investment along the Dettah access road has been carried over. We’ve been working with the development corporation out of the community, which is the economic arm of the Yellowknives Dene First Nations. I think we’ve developed a very good working relationship. They’ve done some very good quality work for us. They’re still relatively new at this type of work.
Some of the work that had been done and needed as a guideline and work that would allow us to move forward wasn’t quite done on time. The quarry work that was completed took a little bit longer than expected. The road design work also has been completed. The negotiation process was also slow and didn’t progress as fast as we thought it would. All these have taken more time, which has required us to carry the money forward.
We are in a position now to award a construction contract. The company is ready to start doing the work this coming year. We expect things will move forward a lot smoother this year as we move into actual construction, and we expect all the work will be done by August of this year. The carry-over is required to continue this process that we engaged in in the past fiscal year.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A lot of these dollars are tied to the federal stimulus funding. There was a deadline date that was set and I know it was carried forward. Realistically, can we conclude these projects within the timelines that we’re looking at, and more importantly, with the capital investment, then, from the carry-overs from previous years? Can we realistically accomplish all the work that needs to be done and that we don’t find ourselves having to either to pay back these dollars or lose these dollars because of the timeline that’s been put forward in regard to having these projects completed by I believe it’s this fall? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There have been extensions given and we’re confident that as a government that we’ll be able to put all these funds to use in the timelines allotted. Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I don’t know if it’s in here but one of the areas we did receive a lot of money which is also for municipalities, and I know that some of our municipalities are still struggling with trying to get their stimulus dollars funded. I’m wondering if that’s anything that’s part of these capital expenditures. I’d like to know what happens in those scenarios. Are we going to also have to live up to those obligations if they don’t meet the timelines? Thank you.
I’ll refer that question to Minister Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Michael McLeod.
Mr. Chairman, we did have some discussions with the federal government with the former Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Chuck Strahl, and identified I think it’s five projects that we expected we’d have challenges in getting completed. Most of these projects were substantially completed. We needed to have a little more time and we did submit a list to the Minister and received approval for all five. I believe there were two projects that were under the management of the Department of Transportation and three under municipal arrangements. I could provide a list to the Member, if he so requires, as to some of the specific details, but all projects that were outstanding had received approvals.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do look forward to that information.
Again, I think that we have to be realistic here that we are operating under a tight timeline and we do have to ensure that we are able to accomplish the work that has to be done, and more importantly, realistically, a lot of cases, because of weather conditions or basically the rain and the weather does hinder a lot of our timelines, and again, regardless if it’s the Deh Cho Bridge or any other project, we do have to be aware that we do operate in an environment that is not friendly and I think that we have to be realistic on accomplishing some of these projects, especially the ones where we have federal commitments that we have to also fulfil.
I’d just like to get some assurances from the Minister that we are able to do everything we can to implement these projects, but also ensure that we don’t find ourselves having to give back dollars because we didn’t complete these projects in the timelines that we agreed to. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As we have indicated, and I will reiterate for the Member as per his request, we are confident that we will meet the deadlines and get the work on the ground and make sure that this infrastructure is delivered as laid out. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. I have nobody else on my list. Is committee agreed that there are no further general comments to the opening remarks? Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Chair, I just wanted to ask the Minister, because of the huge amount of carry-over that we are faced with, do we have the support mechanisms in place? As the Minister says, he’s confident that these projects will be completed in our communities. As you know, some of these projects in our communities are our economic lifelines to training and jobs and creating employment in some of our smaller communities that we represent. We’re doing pretty good, but some of these projects have been on the books and not yet been initiated to the way we think they should be initiated in our communities, and people are looking forward to them.
With the policies that we have and the structures and the support we have because of the other areas that we want to concentrate on, the bigger projects, I want to know that we have the mechanisms to feel confident with what the Minister is saying, that these projects would get off the ground and get started in our communities, especially for the small communities that don’t have the all-season weather roads to go and it’s okay. For some of the smaller ones we have the barge, or the sealift, or flying in with the aircrafts, and that adds cost to the project.
I want to ask the Minister, as the government as a whole, this huge carry-over, that we can feel confident going back to our regions and say these projects will get done, these projects will be completed and that we won’t have much of a carry-over next year.
I understand that there was a lot of work being done, and for me this number is quite huge in terms of carry-over. It may not be for the government, but for me in my communities it certainly helps us in our economic stimulus activity in our communities.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to reassure the Member and point out that we had a $527 million capital plan for last year. We delivered 74 percent of that, almost $400 million. What we’re carrying over is now a shade under $140 million. So I can speak with some considerable certainty that we will get those capital projects on the ground, considering that last year we delivered nearly $400 million worth of capital projects across the North. Delivering this remaining $140 million, roughly, will be done. The infrastructure is there. The supports are there. The mechanisms are there. The processes are there. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Any further questions? Any further comments? Does committee agree that there are no further general comments?
Agreed.
Given that there are no further general comments, is committee agreed that we proceed to the detail of this tabled document?
Agreed.
Okay. We’re on Tabled Document 8-16-(6). The detail begins on page 5. Can I get committee to turn to page 5, please. We’re on page 5 of the 2011 Supplementary Appropriation, No. 1, infrastructure expenditures, Municipal and Community Affairs, operations expenditures, community operations, not previously authorized, $15.708 million.
Agreed.
Regional operations, not previously authorized, $3.023 million.
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $18.731 million.
Agreed.
Moving along to page 6, Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, education and culture, not previously authorized. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m just looking for a little clarification on this page in relation to the career and technology studies. I’m wondering if that’s an increase. I’m still not 100 percent clear on these if they’re carry-overs, increases or whatnot. Did the budget go from 6 to 90 or is it from 850 to 1,241?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s a carry-over. Thank you.
Is the budget for this particular item $1.2 million or $991,000?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you. Mr. Kalgutkar.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The revised budget in ‘10-11 for these projects was $768,000; the amount that were being carried over is $319,000. There were four CTS projects that were approved in ‘10-11. The carry-over is required to allow these projects to be completed during the ‘11-12 fiscal year. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. We’re on page number 6, Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, education and culture, not previously authorized, $391,000.
Agreed.
Agreed. Total department, not previously authorized, $391,000.
Agreed.
Agreed. We’ll move along to page number 7, Legislative Assembly, capital investment expenditures, Office of the Clerk, not previously authorized, $230,000.
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $230,000.
Agreed.
Agreed. Let’s move along to page 8, Finance, capital investment expenditures, office of the chief information officer, not previously authorized, $283,000.
Agreed.
Agreed. Total department, not previously authorized, $283,000.
