Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. We all want the students who are in the program to be supported. There is going to be a lot less work to do because we are not taking in a new cohort. Is this really a prelude to cutting the programs completely? I just don't understand why we would make this reinstatement and how it is any different than what the Minister had already committed to do. Can the Minister provide some clarification of what is going to happen with the teachers for the program? There are going to be fewer students for them to be working with because we are not taking them in. What will those teachers be doing? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have heard time and time again about these two programs: rather than cut them, why don't we fix them? I think, moving forward in the direction that we are taking as a government, we are going to sit down with Aurora College and look at the two programs that were in question. We are going to see how we can fix them. We will work with our staff to make sure that we do provide quality education that is efficient and effective for our students, but that is going to come with the review as we move forward. We are going to be working with committee to get their input on the next steps. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Northwest Territories Agricultural Strategy - The Business of Food: A Food Production Plan 2017-2022." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2016-2017," "Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2016-2017," and "Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2017-2018." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 577-18(2): Prescription Drug Monitoring Program." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Tabling of documents. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table the following document, a November 23, 2016 letter from participants in the Smart Prosperity Canada Initiative, in which corporate officers of 16 major Canadian firms and organizations called upon the Prime Minister to introduce carbon pricing. Thank you.
I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to continue considering Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2017-2018 with the Speaker for the Legislative Assembly. Also, Mr. Chairman, the committee wishes to return to all of the departments that were deferred during our main estimates review. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will consider the document after a recess.
---SHORT RECESS
I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Assembly begins on page 1 of the main estimates document. As always, I will turn to Mr. Speaker for any opening comments. Mr. Speaker.
Masi, Mr. Chair. These are 2017-2018 Estimates for the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is seeking out operating expenditures for corporations of $19,336,000 for 2017-18. This represents a zero per cent change from 2016-2017 Main Estimates. There was a 4.8 per cent decrease from actual expenditures in the 2015-16 fiscal year. Although we are proposing no change in the level of funding for our 2017-18 budget, there are a number of significant initiatives that our Legislative Assembly is planning to undertake.
In the upcoming fiscal year, the Legislative Assembly will establish an independent commission. This is a very important undertaking, as this commission will review Members’ benefits and allowances to determine the adequacy and appropriateness of how Members are compensated. It also supports our objectives of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. We will also be providing funding to some independent offices, such as the Human Rights Commission, so they can continue their important work of representing and advocating for the rights of our citizens.
Additionally, we are injecting high, much-needed funding into improving our communications. It is critical that this Legislative Assembly keep pace with technology in order to effectively reach all peoples of the Northwest Territories, regardless of where they reside or how they connect with the Legislative Assembly. This will require having in-house technical expertise to oversee and manage the various systems that we rely on to communicate, and upgrading or replacing these systems as needed.
In order to go forward with these initiatives in the upcoming fiscal year, we are proposing $44,000 in reductions, and sunsets of $550,000 to offset these costs. As I did in the last budget, I can once again assure Members that these estimates support our Legislative Assembly’s goals of achieving operational efficiency and limiting expenditures’ growth in order to support the fiscal objectives of our government.
In closing, I want to thank all the Members, my colleagues on the Board of Management, and the Assembly staff for the contributions, efforts, and working towards these main estimates, and to continue efficient operations and delivery of quality services for the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Chair, this concludes my opening remarks. I am pleased to respond to any questions the Members may have.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Do you have witnesses you would like to bring into the Chamber? Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Mr. Speaker, if would you please introduce your witnesses to the committee.
Masi. To my right, I have Tim Mercer, clerk of the Legislative Assembly. To my left, Darrin Ouellette, director of corporate services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will begin with opening comments. Do we have any general comments from committee? Seeing none, we will proceed to consider the activities before the full department. The first activity can be found on page 9, expenditures on behalf of Members. Do you have comments or questions on this activity found on pages 8 and 9? Seeing none, I will call this activity. Legislative Assembly, expenditures on behalf of Members, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $8,379,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Moving on to activity 2 of 5, office of the Chief Electoral Officer, $641,000. This is found on pages 10 to 12. Do you have comments or questions? Seeing none, I will call this activity. Legislative Assembly, office of the Chief Electoral Officer, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $641,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Moving on to office of the clerk, activity 3 of 5. This is on pages 13 to 15. Do you have comments or questions on the office of the clerk? Seeing none, I will call this activity. Legislative Assembly, office of the clerk, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $7,906,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Moving on. Activity 4 of 5. Office of the speaker, found on pages 16 to 18. Does committee have comments or questions? Seeing none, I will this activity. Legislative Assembly, office of the speaker, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $350,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Continuing on to the final activity, statutory offices, found on pages 19 to 22. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In her appearance before the Standing Committee on Government Operations, the Information and Privacy Commissioner had requested that her office receive additional funding to fund a deputy commissioner who would eventually take over part of the functions of that office as it is split over two jurisdictions. I am just wondering if that request was seen by the Legislative Assembly and whether it was approved? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Speaker.
Masi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this obviously was brought to our attention and, as we were going through our budgeting process, the requests came in and, at this point, we are deferring until probably the next budget process. It is not working, at this point, with the budget. At the same time, we will seriously consider for the next budgeting process. Masi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Testart. Nothing further from Mr. Testart. Seeing nothing further from committee, I will call this activity: Legislative Assembly, statutory offices, operations expenditures summary, $2,060,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. If you will turn back to page 5, the departmental total. The Legislative Assembly, total department, $19,336,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of the Legislative Assembly. I would like to thank the Speaker and his witnesses for appearing before the committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Committee, as we agreed, we will now return to the main estimates and consider the departments that have been deferred. I will turn to the Minister of Finance. Minister McLeod, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, Mr. Chair, I do.
Please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, would you please introduce your witness to the committee?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me a Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister and welcome to Mr. Stewart. We will now return to the departments that were previously deferred, starting with the Department of Health and Social Services. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. The Department of Health and Social Services begins on page 151. However, we will begin with the community health programs activity before returning to the departmental total. Committee, please turn to page 167. I will call the activity. Department of Health and Social Services, community health programs, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $158,460,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
