Statutory offices, active positions, information item.
Agreed.
Agreed. No questions. Returning to page 5, Legislative Assembly, total department, $21.175 million.
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you, committee. Do you agree that consideration of the main estimates for the Legislative Assembly are concluded?
Agreed.
Thank you. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 188-17(5) be reported and recommended for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I needed to deal with the presenters and the staff here at the table before we went to that motion. I would like to thank Speaker Jacobson, Clerk Mercer and Mr. Ouellette for your attendance here today to help us look over the budget of the Legislative Assembly. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Thank you. I will go to Ms. Bisaro’s motion and I will wait until the Pages have circulated the motion and the motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Thank you.
Thank you, committee. As agreed earlier, we’re going to be going to Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 5, 2014-2015. With that, I will turn it over to the Minister responsible, Minister Miltenberger, for opening comments.
I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 5, 2014-2015. This document provides for a net increase of $4.133 million to the 2014-15 capital budget.
The most significant items in this supplementary estimates are:
$2.0 million for the Department of Health and Social Services to advance the cash flow of the Hay River Health Centre Project because construction is ahead of schedule;
a total of $1.6 million for the Department of Transportation for the costs associated
with the Trout Lake Airport Relocation Project, permafrost research along sections of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway, and funding for planning activities on new highway corridors.
I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary estimates document. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Do you have witnesses you would like to bring into the House?
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Minister. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister Miltenberger, if you would be kind enough to introduce your witnesses for the record.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Mike Aumond, deputy minister; and I have Sandy Kalgutkar, deputy secretary to the FMB. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Aumond, Mr. Kalgutkar, welcome back to the House. Committee, general comments.
Detail.
Is committee prepared to go into detail?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. I would like to turn your attention to page 5 of the supplementary appropriation. Education, Culture and Employment, infrastructure, operations expenditure summary, education and culture, not previously authorized, negative $400,000.
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, negative $400,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Health and Social Services, capital investment expenditures, health services programs, not previously authorized, $2 million. Total department, not previously authorized, $2 million.
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Education, Culture and Employment, capital investment expenditures, education and culture, not previously authorized, $700,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $700,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Page 8, Transportation, capital investment expenditures, airports, not previously authorized, $858,000. Highways, not previously authorized, $750,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $1.608 million. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Page 9, Environment and Natural Resources, capital investment expenditures, forest management, not previously authorized, $60,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $60,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Page 10, Lands, capital investment expenditures, operations, not previously authorized, $165,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $165,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that consideration of Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015, is now concluded?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 5, 2014-2015, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 205-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Your motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Moving on, committee, we’re going to Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. Again, with that, I’ll turn to the Minister responsible for opening comments. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. This document outlines an increase of $13.259 million in operations expenditures for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, of which $3.81 million is offset by revenues.
Excluding the 2014-15 forest fire season and the impacts of low water on the Snare Hydro System, the GNWT was able to limit supplementary expenditures to $10.9 million or $9.1 million below the supplementary reserve budget of $20 million for 2014-15.
The more significant items included in the supplementary estimates are:
A total of $11.1 million for the Department of Health and Social Services for funding for increased program costs, including:
$4.7 million for costs related to adults and children in care in southern facilities;
$3 million for costs associated with providing insured services to non-NWT residents, which will be fully recovered from other jurisdictions;
$1.9 million for costs associated with NWT residents beings provided insured services in other jurisdictions;
$1.3 million for costs associated with the pension plan of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
$2 million for the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources for the additional costs incurred due to the increased fire suppression effort required during the extreme 2014-15 forest fire season.
I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary estimates document.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. When you have a chance, we’ll get a chance to introduce your witnesses that are already at the counter.
Again, Minister Miltenberger, if you would be kind enough to introduce your witnesses to the House.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Deputy Minister Mike Aumond and deputy secretary to the FMB, Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Thank you, Mr. Aumond and Mr. Kalgutkar for residing. Committee, general comments. Is committee prepared to go to detail?
