Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, I will move that Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS Tabled Document 2-17(3), Commissioner’s Opening Address: Creating the Condition for Success, has been tabled in the House;
AND WHEREAS the Commissioner’s opening address requires detailed consideration;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Tabled Document 2-17(3), Commissioner’s Opening Address: Creating the Condition for Success, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the second time.
Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Student Financial Assistance Act to raise the maximum aggregate of the principal amount of all student loans that may be made by the Government of the Northwest Territories by $4 million for 2012-2013 and subsequent fiscal years. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Bill 1 has been read for the second time.
---Carried
Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 69(2) and to have Bill 1 moved into Committee of the Whole.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty, and thank you, colleagues. Bill 1 has been moved into Committee of the Whole.
Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 3-17(3), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2012-2013, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.
I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. We are still dealing with Tabled Document 3-17(3), Main Estimates 2012-13. We left off on Human Resources. The next two departments after that would be Public Works and Services and Education, Culture and Employment. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to deliberate Human Resources, Public Works and Services, and Education, Culture and Employment.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will take a break and we will resume after we have had our afternoon snack.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, I’d like to call you back to order. When we departed on Friday, the question had been called asking if we were ready to move on to detail. Are we ready to move on to detail for the Department of Human Resources? Agreed?
Agreed.
Okay, I’m going to ask Minister Abernethy if he would like to take the witness table and if he’d like to bring in witnesses.
Yes, please.
Agreed. Thank you. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses in to the table.
Mr. Abernethy, for the record, could you please introduce your witnesses?
Thank you, Madam Chair. On my right is Ms. Sheila Bassi-Kellett. She’s the deputy minister of Human Resources. On my left is Michelle Beard who is the director of human resource strategy and policy.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. If Members could please turn in their main estimates book to the Department of Human Resources on page 3-7. We’re going to stand that page down and come back to it at the end. Infrastructure investment summary, page 3-8. Any questions? Agreed?
Agreed.
Revenue summary, information item, 3-9. Active position summary, information item, 3-10. Any questions?
Agreed.
Page 3-13, operations expenditure summary, directorate, $607,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you. Information item. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. If I could just ask you to slow down a bit there, Madam Chair, if you don’t mind.
Sure. No problem. So we are on page 3-14, information item, active positions in the directorate. Any questions?
Agreed.
Agreed, thank you. Page 3-17, operations expenditure summary, human resource strategy and policy, activity summary, $7.134 million. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ve slowed down from the blistering pace of reviewing the budget. I was just wondering, can the department provide some examples as to what purchased services are for $69,000 and as well as some examples of the contract services it looks like for $974,000. Now, I know this is the ‘12-13 budget, but they should be able to give me a predictability or framework of things they intend to purchase or what should typically fall under this. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Bassi-Kellett.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Typically the purchased services used, the expenditures under purchased services include any budgeted items for conferences, meeting services, delivery and courier charges, postage and telecommunications costs as well. Thank you.
Thank you. I’m not sure I heard contract services, but at the same time can I get fees and payables? Most Members would note that there’s over a $900,000 jump in fees and payments and I’m trying to understand the prediction between that. Would that have to do with negotiations and how would they break out? Thank you.
The contract budget has to do with various amounts that we have in the budget to deal with our human resource information system. It also included some funds to support the collective bargaining for three collective agreements that are a part of the ‘12-13 budget. As well, the fees and payments, the large increase that’s noted in the main estimates reflects the inclusion of the fees for the Technology Service Centre for all of the computer equipment within the department that has been moved from TSC chargebacks into fees and payments. Thank you very much.
Thank you for the answer. Why is it so high, though, that it seems to be a bit of a distinguishing gap between what looks like a couple of years prior, $14,000, $21,000 to almost $1 million in services. So why?
