Agreed.
Department, Finance. Appropriation authority required, $48,925,000.
Agreed.
Department, Health and Social Services. Appropriation authority required, $117,209,000. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, it is a question of consistency in spending in the first quarter. I am just wondering if the witnesses can tell me what is happening with ambulatory care services and what portion we are looking at spending in the first quarter of 2016-2017. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the interim appropriation is calculated based on when we actually expect to spend the money. Historically, the department's interim appropriations have been approximately one quarter of what the total budget is expected to be from the upcoming year, as a significant amount of the department’s funding flows to the health and social services authorities through regular monthly cash flows, something that we have to do. However, the budget for out-of-territory hospitals sit in the ambulatory care service item line, the line the Member is talking about. We don't actually need to disburse funds for the out-of-territory hospitals until we actually get invoices from the provinces and territories, and these payments are made directly by the department rather than by the individual authorities, and it doesn't come out of the funding that goes to the authorities.
Accordingly, the department delayed appropriating most of the budget for ambulatory care until such time as we expect to spend the money and get the invoices from the out-of-territory services in the provinces and the other territories. In past years, we have not actually needed these funds for the first three months of the year. We usually spend these dollars later in the year, so we're comfortable that the allocation in ambulatory care services is going to meet the needs of our residents and our services here in the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the Minister's answer, and I'm satisfied with that. Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Further comments or questions on this detail? Department, Health and Social Services. Appropriation authority required, $117,209,000.
Agreed.
We turn to page four now. Department, Human Resources. Appropriation authority required, $6,450,000.
Agreed.
Department, Industry, Tourism and Investment. Appropriation authority required, $25,757,000.
Agreed.
Department, Justice. Appropriation authority required, $66,685,000. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess this is in relation to some questions I asked earlier in the House, but under the line item for policing services, does that include rent for RCMP or housing costs for RCMP? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding is what's included in here is our contract with the RCMP, and rent may be included in that, but we'd have to confirm that. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm satisfied if it can be confirmed with me outside of the Chamber. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. In the Department of Justice interim appropriation, I believe there is continued funding for programs related to family violence, and I'm just wondering if the witnesses can confirm that there is indeed funding for the first quarter for the New Day Program that's run out of the Tree of Peace. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'd like to refer that to the Minister of Justice, Mr. Sebert.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Minister Sebert.
Thank you. The Members will know that this is a pilot project and as part of the contract, the Tree of Peace was responsible for documenting the program. The funding, as I understand it, is only established until the end of the year 2016.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I presume that's December 31, 2016, then, just end of year. We're talking about a bunch of different years here, so I just want to nail down that end date for this particular program. Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
My understanding is that the funding is scheduled to end at the end of the 2016 calendar year at which time I assume the project would be evaluated.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. O'Reilly. Nothing further? Further comments or questions? Seeing nothing, we will continue with the review. Department, Justice. Appropriation authority required, $66,685,000.
Agreed.
Department, Lands. Appropriation authority required, $7,579,000. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to follow up on a couple of areas here that I've raised in the House around the Liabilities and Financial Assurances Division that's located in the Department of Lands. I just want to get some assurance from the Minister that there is funding in the first quarter of 2016-2017 to continue the current staff complement in that division. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member's correct. There is funding to keep the current staff complement. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's good to hear, and I thank the Minister for his response. I just want to confirm that there's also funding in the first quarter for work to be done on the guidelines of the Minister mentioned in the House, if that wasn’t earlier this week it was last week. I believe that the department is preparing some guidelines. Is there funding in the first quarter for some work on the guidelines? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member's correct again. There is funding allocated for that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm just wondering who the department intends to engage with in developing those guidelines. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we will engage with Queen's University, who are helping us do the work on the guidelines. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that response. Presumably, though, we're looking at engaging folks beyond just the university. We're talking, presumably, the mining industry, environmental organizations, Aboriginal governments, the co-management bodies. All of those would be part of consultations that will take place regarding these guidelines as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I will confirm our level of engagement and I will share that with the Members to give them surety that we will do our due diligence. Thank you, Mr. Chair,
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
