Masi. Tabling of documents.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, September the 28, 2017, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when the House adjourns on September 28, 2017, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 3, 2017;
AND FURTHER, that at any time prior to October 3rd, 2017, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Committee Report 12-18(2), Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning Report on the Progress Review of the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019; Minister's Statement 186-18(2), Update on the A New Day Program; Tabled Document 416-18(2), GNWT Capital Estimates 2018-2019; Tabled Document 419-18(2), Proposed Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 2016-2019 (Revised).
I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.
Marsi cho, Mr. Chairman. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2018-2019. We would like to include the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, go on to Lands, Environment and Natural Resources, Industry, Tourism and Investment, and Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will first take a short recess.
---SHORT RECESS
I will call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we agreed to continue our deliberation of Tabled Document 416-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2018-2019, and continue with the consideration of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. When we left off yesterday, we were finishing up general comments. I believe nearly every Member had a chance to speak who wanted to. Are there any more Members who would like to make general comments on MACA?
I apologize. I jumped the gun here. Minister Cochrane, do you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, would you please introduce your witness to the House.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my right is Ms. Eleanor Young. She is the deputy minister for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Welcome, Ms. Young. For those following at home, we are on page 64 of the capital estimates, and I believe Mr. Thompson is first on my list for general comments. Yes, Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I will try to be brief with my comments and questions today, since a number of my questions were answered during the meeting yesterday.
First of all, I would like to thank the department for providing funding for the communities and allowing them to make their own decisions regarding the capital. Can the Minister explain how the funding works for designated authorities, since I have a number of those communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Cochrane.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The designated authorities are actually communities that are actually funded or supported through Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. They are not under the territorial legislation. We have a more limited authority over those communities, but their funding is provided based on the same needs assessment that we did for all communities when we did the new deal. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for her answer. Can the Minister explain how this fund works in regard to designated authorities? She talks about a limited relationship with it. With capital, are there special guidelines that these communities have to follow, or are they the similar guidelines that we have for all communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Their guidelines are the same as for all communities. However, I should note that, based on the Office of the Auditor General, we are trying to work closer with INAC, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, to provide more of a comprehensive support to those designated authorities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you. I thank the Minister for that answer. I think it is great that the federal government and territorial governments are working with these communities, especially with some issues.
I have a couple of other questions. Are the communities able to save these funds to do one big project at the end? I believe the Minister was talking about it in the House today, and I was kind of smiling when she was talking about it because I had this question written down. Are the communities able to do that, and where do the funds stay in regards to that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, communities are allowed to save their money from capital revenues, and that is important because some communities want to build bigger infrastructure units, such as a public swimming pool or a library or things that take multi-year funding. That money is retained by the communities in their bank accounts, but we do get a financial audit every year provided to Municipal and Community Affairs so that we can oversee their spending and their reserves. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I think she was pulling on my heartstrings there, saying a library and a pool. It was like old days, with the recreation side of me coming out.
In regard to keeping these funds and putting them into reserves, I have heard in other years that some people have spent the money on other facilities, like a hotel or a store. Are these kinds of projects for this type of money, or should they be looking at other avenues to fund these types of capital projects? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, our guidelines actually are very explicit on the type of infrastructure that they are allowed to utilize out of the capital funding. If they have used their funding inappropriately against the guidelines, then we work very closely with the communities to try to get them to stay on track. They may have to sometimes pay back from other revenues that they may take in, but we have explicit guidelines on where they are allowed to spend the money, and we do oversee to make sure that that funding is spent appropriately. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. There is nothing further from Mr. Thompson. I believe I will call on Mr. Testart. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 67 of MACA's capital infrastructure is a list of communities, and it is related to the community government share of capital formula funding, but there are no dollar amounts listed. Can the Minister explain why that is? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. For many years now, the funding within the capital estimates process has actually been provided as line items. However, the information is public. It is public through our MACA update, if Regular MLAs are looking to access that information.
We also provide all communities their funding. In September to December, we provide a listing of all community funding to the communities so that they can actually use that to plan for their capital expenditures and, of course, for their operating and maintenance. All of the funding is provided to them during that term. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That information is already public. Is there any reason not to print it here, just for greater transparency of these budget documents? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Like I said, that information is public at this point. You can access it through our website. I will carry that recommendation forward into the next year's capital estimates planning process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Do I have anything further for general comments? Seeing none, we will defer consideration of the departmental total until after consideration of the activity summaries, the first of which can be found on page 66. Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operations, infrastructure investments, $27,193,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Turning to page 69, with associated information item on page 70, Municipal and Community Affairs, public safety, infrastructure investments, $115,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Turning back to page 64, Municipal and Community Affairs, total capital estimates, $27,308,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that we have concluded consideration of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Thank you to the witness for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witness from the Chamber. Committee, next we have agreed to consider the Department of Lands, which begins on page 58. I will turn to the Minister responsible for any opening comments he may have. Minister Sebert.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have no opening comments.
