Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 10, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2017-2018, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 10 has had its second reading. Second reading of bills. Minister of Finance.
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 11, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2017-2018, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for operation expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.
Marsi cho, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee would like to consider Tabled Document 140-18(3), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We have agreed to consider Tabled Document 140-18(3). Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks? Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019. This document provides for an increase of $1.1 million to the operations budget. These supplementary estimates include:
$200,000 for funding for the NWT Arts Council;
$300,000 to establish two new government service officer positions in Jean Marie River and Sambaa K'e; and
$578,000 to establish two new land specialist positions to address equity lease issues over the next three years.
That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the chamber?
I would, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, would you please introduce your witness for the record.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I have with me today Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Committee, we have agreed to forgo general comments. We will move directly into the detail. Please turn to page 4 of the tabled document. Do we have comments or questions on this detail? Page 4. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister just confirm if this is ongoing funding or a single one-time appropriation? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is ongoing.
Thank you. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the Minister for that clarification. I think this is, again, something that we heard very loudly from the arts community. I am really pleased that the Minister has brought this forward, happy to support it, and I am happy even more so that it is ongoing funding. Hopefully, we can get a few more dollars next business plan. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Anything further from committee? Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019, Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, culture, heritage, and languages, not previously authorized, $200,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $200,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Please turn to page 5. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized, $300,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Executive and Indigenous Affairs, operations expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $300,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Please continue to page 6. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2018-2019, Lands, operations expenditures, operations, not previously authorized, $578,000. Does committee agree? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can someone just explain what this funding is for? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this money is for additional positions to -- I've got to get my glasses on here -- establish two new positions to address equity leases over the next three years. That is in addition to the three positions that were already there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister or his staff tell us where these three positions are going to be located? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In addition to the previous three that I have just spoken to plus the two that we are adding now, there are going to be two in Fort Smith, one in Inuvik, one in Fort Simpson, and one in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think the three that were in the 2018-2019 budget itself, they were going to be located in Fort Smith. Is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. It was initially three, but two are going into Fort Smith, one in Inuvik, one in Fort Simpson, and one in Yellowknife. That gives us the five positions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Now I am more confused than ever. How many positions are there going to be created as a result of the supplementary appropriation and what's in the 2018-2019 budget already? How many total positions, and where are they all going to be located? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
