Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. I enjoy working with the committee. I look forward to their feedback and input, and I think a letter from the committee would be helpful in helping to move that initiative forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 1, Western Canada Lottery Act.
Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the Northwest Territories Lottery Commission. It also establishes the Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation Fund, a special purpose fund that will receive proceeds from the operation of lotteries by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. The commission is responsible for the conduct, management and operation of lotteries. The Minister will administer the fund and distribute proceeds for limited purposes including the promotion and delivery of physical activity, sport and recreation programs.
A public clause-by-clause review of the bill took place earlier this afternoon. With that, Mr. Speaker, the Committee wishes to report that Bill 1 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Government Operations will present a substantive report on Bill 1 to this House tomorrow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "20152016 Traditional Knowledge Annual Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled “2017 Annual Report Public Utilities Board of the Northwest Territories." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, I will move that Bill 6, Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Implementation Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Masi. 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: Minister's Statement 118(3), North Slave Correctional Complex Inmate Concerns; Minister's Statement 1918(3), Aurora College Foundational Review Process; Minister's Statement 3218(3), Update on the Northwest Territories Disability Framework and Action Plan; and Tabled Document 6318(3), Main Estimates 2018-2019. Members, by the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 718(3), I hereby authorize the House to sit beyond the daily hour of adjournment to consider the business before the House, with the Member for Hay River North in the chair.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee would like to consider Tabled Document 6318(3), Main Estimates 20182019, with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment as the department under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will consider the document after a brief recess.
---SHORT RECESS
I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 63‑18(3), Main Estimates 2018‑2019, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. This department begins on page 203.
I will first turn to the Minister responsible, for any opening comments. Do you have any opening comments, Minister Schumann?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2018-2019 Main Estimates for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Overall, the department’s estimates is proposing an increase of $1.97 million or 3.5 per cent over the 2017-2018 Main Estimates. They include approved adjustments of $1.2 million in total to fund the freight cost assistance program for fishers, the mining incentive program, contracting in relation to the development of the Mineral Resources Act, and funding for French language communications services.
Our proposed estimates also include $100,000 for the Northwest Territories Geological Survey to share the costs of establishing and populating a permafrost database. This cost will be offset by revenue which we will receive from the Government of Canada.
To respond to increasing demand to the tourism sector, the 2018-2019 Main Estimates includes forced growth funding of $143,000 for a new manager of tourism development and enforcement position in the North Slave Region.
An additional $588,000 in new funding is being proposed to support the implementation of the new Agriculture Strategy, to fund a two-year support officer for the fishing sector in the South Slave and, as we continue to implement the Mineral Development Strategy, for prospector training, the Resources and Energy Development Information initiative, and the development of regional mineral-development strategies.
The 2018-2019 Main Estimates reflect sunsets of $420,000 related to the implementation of French language services, an administrator for the Sahtu oil and gas business development, business coordination under the Mineral Development Strategy, and hardware costs and database updates for the Northwest Territories Geological Survey.
As we plan for the up and coming fiscal year, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment remains committed to meeting the priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly. We will be fulfilling commitments that we have made to introduce an NWT manufacturing strategy and a strategy for the development of NWT petroleum resources.
We will also be investing in the implementation of strategies introduced last year to grow the agriculture sector and to revitalize commercial fishing on Great Slave Lake. We will continue to implement the Mineral Development Strategy, most notably in the drafting of a new Mineral Resource Act, and the introduction of amendments to the Mineral Resources Regulations.
Of the department’s total proposed budget, 58.5 per cent has been allocated to economic diversification, business support, and tourism with 27.5 per cent identified for spending in the area of Minerals and Petroleum Resources. This concludes my opening remarks. I welcome questions from the Members. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Schumann. I understand you have witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber. Sergeant‑at‑Arms, will you please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, you may take your seat at the witness table.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left, I have Julie Mujcin, Director of Finance, and on my right, I have Deputy Minister Tom Jensen.
Thank you, Minister. Committee, previously, we have agreed to forgo opening comments. Does committee agree to again forgo the opening comments for this department?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. This department consists of four activities. Each Member will be allowed to speak once for 10 minutes to each activity and again to the departmental summary as well as the four information items as a whole at the end of the section. The departmental total can be found on page 207. As usual, we will forgo that until discussion of the activities, beginning with corporate management on pages 210 to 213. Do we have questions or comments from committee on the section corporate management? I will give committee a moment. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am on page 211. I noticed that corporate costs from the previous budget have gone down. Can the Minister explain where these changes come from? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is a decrease of $28,000. The decrease is a result of the interactivity reallocation to finance and administration to fund the Hay River area corporate services office clerk, previously cost-shared with ENR. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister please elaborate further in regard to that costsharing position? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This previous position was costshared between ITI and the Department of ENR. We have moved to a new location now, so this is fully funded from within ITI. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
Further on to the directorate, we see a reduction of about $55,000. Can the Minister expand on this reduction? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This was primarily not all of it, but primarily -- because of the reduction of the executive assistant position to the ADM. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister please tell us if this position was actually filled at this time, or was this a vacant position? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it was vacant.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Going further down, where it says “finance and administration,” we see an increase of about $142,000. Can the Minister expand on why we see an increase in this area? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's right. It's $142,000. The increase relates to an interdepartmental reallocation to fund the fulltime occupational health and safety specialists and an area corporate services clerk for Hay River. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you. Can the Minister expand on that occupational health and safety position? Is that allocated in a regional centre, or is that a headquarter position that looks after the territory? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is based out of Yellowknife, and this is for occupational health and safety, as I have said in my previous comment. This is something that we have internally funded within our department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Thompson.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that. I just need clarification: is this position going to be for the territory, or is this going to be specifically for Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
