Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following ten documents entitled "Beaufort-Delta Education Council Consolidated Annual Financial Report, June 30, 2016," "Commission scolaire francophone Territoires du Nord-Ouest Consolidated Financial Statements, June 30, 2016," "Detah District Education Authority Consolidated Financial Statements, June 30, 2016," "Consolidated Financial Statements of Dehcho Divisional Education Council, June 30, 2016," "K'alemi Dene School (Ndilo District Education Authority) Consolidated Financial Statements, June 30, 2016," "Consolidated Financial Statements of Sahtu Divisional Education Council, June 30, 2016," "South Slave Divisional Education Council Annual Financial Report for the Year Ended June 30, 2016," "Tlicho Community Services Agency Education Division Annual Financial Report for the Year Ended June 30, 2016," Yellowknife Catholic Schools (Yellowknife Public Denominational District Education Authority) Annual Financial Report, June 30, 2016," and "Yellowknife District No.1 Education Authority (Yellowknife Education District No. 1) Financial Statements, June 30, 2016." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I'd like to table the following document, "2017-2018 School Funding Framework Finance and Administration Manual, Education Authorities dated May 27." Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Further to the statutory tabling pursuant to Section 266(2) of the Elections and Plebiscites Act of "Modernizing Election Administration in the Northwest Territories - CEO Report on the Administration of the 2015 Territorial General Election," I wish to table a document entitled "Modernizing Election Administration in the Northwest Territories - Supplementary Recommendations." Masi.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 28, Interpretation Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. All those in favour. All those opposed. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 28 has had its first reading. First Reading of Bills. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Hay River South, that, Bill 29, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. All those in favour. All those opposed. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 29 has had its first reading. First Reading of Bills. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 77(1) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Counsel Act, I wish to advise the House that I have a conflict of interest in Bill 30, Health Statutes Law Amendment Act. This bill amends the Public Health Act to clarify that the Commissioner may make regulations respecting cremation and crematoria.
Mr. Speaker, my spouse is a funeral planner and, as such, has a private interest in this bill. I will excuse myself from the Chamber during consideration of this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Duly noted. Masi. Just for the record, Member for Yellowknife Centre has left the Chamber due to conflict of interest on the next bill, Bill 30. First reading of bills. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that Bill 30, Health Statutes Amendment Act (Cremation Services), be read for the first time. Merci, Monsieur le President.
The motion is in order. All those in favour. All those opposed. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 30 has had its first reading. Masi. Just for the record, Member for Yellowknife Centre is back in the Chamber. Masi.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider the following matters. Tabled Document 383-18(2), Supplementary Estimates, (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2017-2018; Tabled Document 384-18(2), Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2017-2018; Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Tobacco Tax Act; Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act, No. 2. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. First, a short recess.
---SHORT RECESS
I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 383-18(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2017-2018. Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks? Minister McLeod.
Yes, Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I do.
One moment. Minister McLeod, Please proceed.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair I am here to present Supplementary Estimates, (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2017-2018. This document provides for an increase of $10.6 million to the operations budget.
Major items in these supplementary estimates include:
$4.4 million for the New Canada-NWT Agreement for French and Aboriginal Languages. These costs are fully offset by revenues from the Government of Canada.
$1.4 million for the Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery Revitalization initiative.
$1.2 million for the runway surface repairs at the Inuvik airport. An offsetting amount was lapsed in 2016-2017.
Also included in these supplementary estimates is funding, totalling $2.7 million, for the operating costs of the new AT802 Fire Boss aircraft. It is anticipated that these costs will be fully offset, on a one-time basis, with the proceeds from the sale of the CL-215 aircraft and their associated parts. That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair. I am prepared to respond to the committee's questions.
Thank you, Minister. Do you have witnesses you wish to bring to the House?
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I have with me to my right Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. To my left, I have Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar, deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. I will open the floor to any opening comments, general comments on the operation supplemental estimates. Do we have any general comments from committee? Seeing none, we can move right into it. Committee, please turn to page 4. We will begin with Education, Culture and Employment. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2017-2018. Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, education and culture, not previously authorized, $4,408,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $4,408,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. On to page 5, Environment and Natural Resources. Do we have comments on this page? Questions? Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that, in the Minister's opening comments, he indicated here that the net effect on government's operation will be nil with regard to this expenditure, because there is the potential to sell existing water bombers that we have, the CL-215 aircraft. I just wonder if the Minister can expand a little bit on how confident he is in that, and what kind of market there is out there with regard to the other countries or jurisdictions that might be seeking our older model water bombers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister.
