Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 118 this is a revenue summary which is a grant-in-kind. Then on page 126 are grants, contributions, and transfers. It's possible to have grants-in-kind that wouldn't be showing up as revenue. In the case of these ones for Executive, they just happen to, and that's why they're duplicated there. In other departments you won't necessarily see them presented this way because that might be revenue that isn't a grant-in-kind. I hope that's helpful. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Ballantyne. Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Committee, go back to page 118, Executive, revenue summary, information item. Any further questions?
Agreed.
I see none. Moving on to page 119, Department of Executive, active position summary, information item. Any questions, committee? Mr. Thompson.
You can agree later on, right after I ask my questions. Thank you. I notice that there's four new positions in the different flowchart. That does not include new additional positions happening for the GSOs, is that correct?
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister McLeod.
That's correct, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. Thompson?
Mr. Chair, with the new four positions, where are they going to be located? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. They are communications positions, so they're all located in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. Thompson?
No, not at this time. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Committee, we're on page 119, Executive, active positions, information item. Any further questions? Thank you, Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm wondering, I see here that there is a plan to improve communications. I'm wondering if all four of those positions that are being created in the Executive are to support this open government plan or whether they have other duties as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was what we call the phase two functional review in the previous government, which identified we were very deficient in the amount of communications people that we had. They recommended that we increase our cadre of communications people. That was the rationale behind the increase. Certainly the more communications officers you have the more they can contribute to a more open transparent government. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions? Ms. Green.
Thank you.
Thank you. Committee, please bear with me. I'm so used to speaking to one another on a first-name basis, so it takes me a little time with the last names again. With that, any further questions to page 119?
Agreed.
I see none. Okay, moving on. Committee, page 121, Executive, Cabinet support, operations expenditure summary, $1,393,000.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm glad you remembered my name. I just wanted to go back to the organizational chart for a second because I want to ask about the Public Utilities Board. I raised this previously as well. It shows that the Public Utilities Board reports to Ministers responsible with a solid line. It's sort of like they're underneath the Ministers responsible. I don't think that's the intention, but I understood that the Public Utilities Board was a quasi-judicial body and was really independent of the Executive. Maybe I can ask the witnesses to confirm that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's correct.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Presumably this will be corrected in future main estimates and business plans and so on? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the legislation it states the Minister responsible for the PUB will bring forward board appointments. I guess that's why we left it at that. Also, I said earlier the Government House Leader had a function, because the Government House Leader brings forward legislation as well, so that was the rationale for having a solid line to the Ministers responsible. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I do hope that they correct the diagram in future documents. But it's my understanding that the Public Utilities Board has the ability to regulate net metering. This is where householders and businesses would have the ability to put energy back into the grid and receive some remuneration for that. The problem with the current system is that you can build up credits, but they expire as of April 1st each year. There seems to be a problem in… You know, there's even one fellow in Inuvik who might be able to put more energy back into the system than he can ever use. We need to change the way that net metering is done. Providing some direction to the Public Utilities Board or even putting this into legislation might be the way to do that. When does the Minister expect that that sort of direction or better policy or direction on net metering is going to change so that we can encourage more renewable energy development in the Northwest Territories? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Public Utilities Board applied the Cabinet-approved principles to a February 2016 decision regarding Northland Utilities 2014-2015 Phase II General Rate Application. The PUB is developing a clear publicly-accessible set of guidelines on net metering. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes. When can we expect that those guidelines would be available for public comment? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll write to the chairperson and ask for that information. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly?
Great, thanks. Would the Minister copy us on that correspondence and ensure that we get a copy of the response from the Public Utilities Board as well? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll commit to doing that. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions? Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Committee, any further questions on operations expenditure summary, Executive, $1,393,000? Committee, agree? We have concluded Cabinet support, operations expenditure summary, $1,393,000.
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we are on page 123, Executive, Cabinet support, active positions, information item. Any questions, committee? Thank you, Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I wonder if I could have some detail about the grant to the NWT Literacy Council which happened two fiscal years ago and was then discontinued. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That was a special grant for a feast. I think it was some special anniversary that the Literacy Council hosted. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Ms. Green, any further questions?
No, thank you.
Next we have Mr. O'Reilly.
