Thank you, Mr. Schauerte. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am very concerned that this government is looking at the lottery funding as an opportunity to get away from our commitment through the money from the $650,000. It is a concern. The money that is in lotteries presently, for the last five years, has been going to the five partners' organizations, which is the grassroots. The other people on the other side can shake their heads and say, no, this is not what we are doing, but this is how I am looking at it.
This is how I am feeling this government is utilizing lotteries, once it comes in the system, that it becomes part of this, that the department can use that money to pay for games. I am hugely concerned, and I wish the government and the department would stop looking at utilizing lotteries as a way to fund our games. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, during the business plan, the department said that, in this activity area, they were going to provide opportunities for residents to improve health and fitness. I have not been able to find exactly where that is laid out, so I am wondering if the Minister could provide some detail with that. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is within our mandate and it is part of the Sutcliffe Report that, actually, we are to provide a physical activity strategy. We are meeting with the five sports and recreation organizations in April. At that point, we are going to be looking at developing a territory-wide physical activity strategy to address the issues that the Member has brought up. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As a point of clarification, I understood this was meant to be personal health and fitness ventures, rather than team sports. Can the Minister clarify, please?
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is a variety. The ones that will meet with the organizations will be more towards the group sports and recreation activities. We do have some programs that individuals alone can apply for as well, schools can apply for. We have a whole host of programs to meet the health and wellness needs of residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
No questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I know I have raised the issue of support for seniors in sports. I think I got some kind of a commitment out of the Minister that this was something that they were going to evaluate. Could the Minister tell us where their current thinking is at, if we can get support for seniors in sports? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do recognize that when we were providing services, it tends to be that mostly youth were taking part in the activities for sports and recreation. There is a huge population that has gaps, including seniors and women. We were also noticing that we need more women involved in some of our supports for sports and recreation. These are two areas, along with others, that we will be addressing with the five organizations when we look at the gaps in services, the overlaps, and try to decide where best all of the five organizations, and ourselves as the Government of the Northwest Territories, where we should be gearing our strategy, our long-term action plan, to address the needs of all residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Glad to hear that. Can the Minister give us a timeline for when this policy funding review is going to be finished? Does she contemplate having it done in time for the next fiscal year? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our beginning meeting will be at the beginning of the fiscal year in April. I am very hopeful that we will have it done in time for the end of the fiscal year. The reality is we are dealing with five organizations, so what I would like to see as a timeline might not be the same timeline that all of the five organizations -- there are some issues that need to be hashed out, so I do see it taking a little bit of time to deal with it appropriately. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that answer from the Minister. Is this something that is going to be done in time for the business plans for next year so that we could see an allocation within the business plan for seniors' involvement in organized sports activities? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. What I can commit to is that I will do my best. Our department will do the best to try to get the working group resolutions out and finished and agreed to by the next business planning process. We will share that with the organizations, that that is our timeline, and we will push them towards meeting that timeline. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Nothing further from Mr. O'Reilly. Seeing nothing further from committee, Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to ask about the annual Non-Government Organization Stabilization Fund. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has had quite a lot to say about this fund. I wonder if the Minister could speak to how this fund has been successfully deployed to encourage volunteers in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The NGO Stabilization Fund is actually one that I am very familiar with. It is a resource very critical to these social agencies, the non-government social agencies within communities in the Northwest Territories. It was presented during the capital planning process.
There was a bit of miscommunication. It was promoted as it was really to support volunteers. That is a little bit incorrect. The assumption is that non-government organizations do use a lot of volunteers for their boards. A lot of the boards actually have to have volunteers. They cannot be paid positions. The funding will remain exactly the same as it was. I can commit to that as long as I am the Minister of MACA, that I will not let that funding be touched by any other. It is specifically for stabilization of non-government organizations that provide social programs to the communities' critical services, services such as shelters. Anything that is a critical service that the Government of the Northwest Territories would have to do on its own is specifically what that funding is for, and it will remain so. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the Minister. I could not have said it better myself. The standing committee completely agrees. Will it remain in this department or return to the Executive where it can serve more of a central stabilizing role for our non-government partners? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If the Government of the Northwest Territories decides that it is better fitted within the Executive, I would not fight that. However, in saying that, I am the strongest advocate to actually keep it within the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, especially since I am the Minister and such a strong advocate and previous user of this program. I think that, in all honesty, it is best protected where it is at this point. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wonder if I should be worried about what the Premier would do with this funding, but I digress. How many sport, recreation, or youth-focused NGOs are currently receiving funding from the non-government organization stabilization fund? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you. As far as I am aware of, there are no sports organizations that are accepting this funding, but we will have to check on that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
I believe I have made my case for moving this out of this activity. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Where see nothing further from committee. I will call this activity. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity; sport, recreation and youth under the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, main estimates 2017-2018, on page 339 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion to defer. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour. All those opposed.
---Carried
Committee, we have deferred sport, recreation and youth. Committee, we have an information item on pages 343 to 344, work performed on behalf of others. Do I have comments or questions on this information item? Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on gas tax, is that a decrease of $7 million? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the figure in 2016-17 of $22 million was because of a carryover in that year, and then the current year is $15,750; it goes up every two years. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, also could I get the Minister to explain the $10 million drop in the Building Canada Plan also? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Ms. Young.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So what you see in the revised estimate is actually based on the cash flow for the projects that are approved by Canada and funded in any given year, and so the amount will vary every year depending on the projects approved. The Build Canada Program is a 10-year program, so there's a different amount of cash flow every year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Young. Mr. Beaulieu.
