Question
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 9 has had second reading. The bill is referred to standing committee. Masi. Second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Tabled Document 86-18(2), with the Member for Hay River North in the chair.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee, Mr. Beaulieu?
Marci cho, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 8618(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20162017. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
We will take a short break and begin with the consideration. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
We will now continue with Committee of the Whole, consideration of Tabled Document 8618(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20162017. Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks? Minister McLeod.
Yes, I would, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I’m here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20162017. This document provides for an increase of $168.7 million to the capital budget. The most significant item is the $141.8 million for the carryover expenditure for infrastructure projects that were not able to be completed during the 20152016 fiscal year. The other significant item is $26 million for various infrastructure projects under the Department of Transportation, which will be significantly funded, 75 per cent, by the Government of Canada under the provincialterritorial infrastructure component of its new Building Canada Plan. That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my left I have Mr. Mike Aumond, who is the deputy minister of Finance, and to my right I have Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar, who is the deputy chair of the Financial Management Board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. I will now open up the floor to general comments on the document, keeping in mind that we will have time to make comments on each department. Are there any general comments on the supplementary estimates? Seeing none, does committee agree that we proceed to the detail?
Agreed.
We will begin at page 6, Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Questions on page 6, Education, Culture and Employment? Seeing none, I’ll call the page. Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, education and culture, not previously authorized, $908,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $908,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Moving on to page 7, Health and Social Services, questions on page 7? Comments? Seeing none, I’ll call the page. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I’d like to enquire of the details of the Stanton Territorial Health Authority, deferred maintenance. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
I’ll refer that to Mr. Kalgutkar. Thank you.
Mr. Kalgutkar.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This was deferred maintenance spending that was used to address some of the mechanical systems that are currently in the hospital that need significant refurbishment. This was just really a stopgap measure until the new hospital which is currently being built, which will address, obviously, a lot of those issues, which was this money that was being used to address some of the existing deficiencies until that new hospital is completed. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That gives rise to a question about when the GNWT will stop being responsible for maintenance at the existing hospital. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Once they open up the new hospital, we won’t be responsible for any maintenance on the current one. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
That’s everything. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Further comments, questions for the Department of Health and Social Services? Seeing none, I’ll call the page. Health and Social Services, operations expenditures, administrative and support services not previously authorized, $583,000, community health programs not previously authorized, $386,000, total department not previously authorized, $969,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Committee agrees. We’ll move on to page 8, Municipal and Community Affairs. Questions or comments on page 8, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs? Seeing none, I will call the page. Municipal and Community Affairs, operations expenditures, community operations not previously authorized, $1,358,000, total department not previously authorized, $1,358,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Committee agrees. Moving on to page 9, Public Works and Services, comments or questions from committee? Seeing none, Public Works and Services, operations expenditures, asset management, not previously authorized, $922,000, total department not previously authorized, $922,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Committee agrees. Page 10, Transportation, questions or comments on page 10, Transportation? Seeing none, I’ll call the page. Transportation, operations expenditures, airports, not previously authorized, $140,000. Total department not previously authorized, $140,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Committee agrees. Moving on to page 11, Legislative Assembly. Comments on Legislative Assembly? Seeing none, I’ll call the page. Legislative Assembly, capital investment expenditures, office of the clerk, not previously authorized, $118,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $118,000. Agreed?
Agreed.
Committee agrees. Moving on to page 12, Education, Culture and Employment, capital investment expenditures. Questions or comments on page 12? Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick question to the junior kindergarten upgrades. I’m not sure if this has to do with the, I believe it is, a little over $15,000 per community that was going to take on junior kindergarten, but I believe last year was the cutoff, I believe, for schools that were willing to take on junior kindergarten. If they didn’t, then there’s a possibility that they’d lose that funding. Since we’re carrying this over, I would like to say, if this coming school year, if a school wanted to do JK, would they still get that amount of money? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this is for an amount in capital upgrades to support addition of junior kindergarten classrooms to existing facilities. The short answer is no, they won’t lose that funding. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Blake.
Well, that’s about it then. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under the labour development and standards line, there is a capital infrastructure for colleges (various) in the amount of $400,000. Can the Minister provide some detail on what the appropriation will be used to pay for? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. We’re requesting carryover here to use funding to access the Government of Canada PostSecondary Strategic Investment Funding Initiative, and the initiative requires that we match funding in order to secure federal funding. As to the actual projects, I don’t have that detail, but I can commit to putting that information together for the Member. Thank you.
