Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the deputy minister's response. That is the information I've got in front of me. It looks like the reserve is going to be reduced by $15 million, but this supplementary appropriation is for over $20 million for our out-of-territory patients. It looks like we would still run, if everything else being equal, there would still be a $5 million deficit next year. How is the reduction in the reserve calculated to go down just $15 million rather than, say, $20? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Stewart.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. The reserve value, the Member is correct, it is $20 million for 2018-2019. The investments that we have made in the base on some of these items that the Minister noted for Health and Social Services and other areas, we believe that that reserve amount will work, and that we will be able to stay within that amount. Obviously, there are other factors like fires and those sorts of things that we can never be too certain of, and so we will have to keep our eye on that and manage our resources carefully over 2018-2019 to make sure that we are able to meet the financial figures that are included in the main estimates. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am not sure I am convinced on that, but only time will tell. There's $959,000 in here for a top up for the Hay River Health and Social Services Authorities pension plan. I know that there has been some discussion in the House about bringing the workers there into the public service. Does anyone at the table know the status of those discussions? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Stewart.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think this is an issue that has been looked at in the past. I know we have started another project with the Department of Health and Social Services to look at those costs again and see what the requirement would be, and then see whether within our fiscal environment we are operating, whether it makes sense to do that or not, but we have started to do that detailed work again, just to update those figures and have that for a fully informed discussion on that topic. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Until that happens, we will just continue to have to top up the pension fund. For 2017-2018, it is almost $1 million. Does anybody from the department know how much we have spent to top up the pension fund period over a number of years? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, 2007-2008, $739,000; 2008-2009, $587,000; 2009-2010, $406,000; 2011-2012, $227,000; 2012-2013, $611,000; 2013-2014, $1,009,000; 2015-2016, $1,266,000; 2016-2017, $872,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate those numbers, and it is all good evidence as to why these folks should be brought into the public service. Thanks. I don't have anything further.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Comments? Next, we have Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In the discussion around the Education and Culture supplementary appropriation, there was a discussion around this early learning and childcare agreement. Our detail here is from 2017 to 2020, but I believe I heard a witness quote this as a 10-year deal, or a 10-year funding arrangement. Obviously, this program is four years. Can we get some clarification whether or not this is a 10-year funding arrangement or a four-year funding arrangement? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework with the Government of Canada is a 10-year. The framework is 10 years. The funding agreement is for three years.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you. Can the Minister just quickly explain the difference between the two, the 10-year framework and the three-year funding plan? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Stewart.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think the 10-year agreement that was signed, the framework lays out broad goals to improve early childhood programming in Canada. I think the three-year agreement is related to specific actions that were included in that three-year. I think it is safe to say that there will probably be further discussions on activities that may take place after the first three-year period. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. Testart.
Thank you. Just to confirm that the 10-year framework does not have dollars attached to it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. The Member is correct. Just the first three years are funded. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Maybe something further. Are these positions solely contingent on this funding? Is this something we are looking to maintain after three years? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have been given the indication that yes.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have more questions about this 10-year framework, but this isn't the appropriate time to do it. I will defer those to a later day and save them for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to thank the Minister and the witnesses for answering my questions. Nothing further, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Next, we have Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for putting me back on the list. Mr. Chair, I note that on page 5, $181,000 is allocated to AVENS. I wonder if the witnesses could tell us what the specific use of this money will be? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. Stewart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is supplementary funding. They increased their contribution related to their collective agreement. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand what he said about increasing funding so that they can meet their obligations under their collective agreement. They have been at or near a deficit for a number of years. Will this funding amount make any difference to that situation? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. Stewart.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. It certainly has to help. I understand the department continues to work with AVENS, though, to look at their broader financial situation. I understand the Member is correct, that they have been having some challenges on the financial side. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this is a more general question about how organizations that have contribution agreements are accountable for their spending to the government: can the Minister just give us an idea of how that happens? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. Stewart.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. There is a little difference between whether they are getting a grant or a contribution from government, but typically there is a requirement to report back. Depending on the type of organization that it is, the reporting could range from some outcomes of what they were able to do with the funding from the territorial government to the requirement for audited financial statements and more detail on what they did with their contributions from the government. It really depends on the NGOs that are laid there. We have a third party accountability framework that describes the different types of external organizations that we fund and what specifically they have to report on to the government each year. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can Mr. Stewart or another of the witnesses tell me what kind of accountability they have specifically for AVENS, if, in fact, they know? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we don't have that detail in front of us, but we will work to get the information for the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Ms. Green.
Thank you for your responses. Nothing further.
