Debates of March 13, 2019 (day 70)

Thank you. To the motion. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the support from the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, and I would like to request a recorded vote.

Thank you. Anything further?

Question.

The Member for Yellowknife Centre, the Member for Deh Cho, the Member for Nunakput, the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, the Member for Range Lake, the Member for Great Slave, the Member for Hay River South, the Member for Thebacha, the Member for Mackenzie Delta, the Member for Sahtu, the Member for Yellowknife North, the Member for Kam Lake, the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Member for Nahendeh, the Member for Frame Lake.

All those opposed, please rise. All those abstaining, please rise.

The results of the recorded vote are: 15 in favour, zero opposed, zero abstentions.

---Carried

Seeing nothing further from committee, does committee agree that this concludes consideration of Committee Report 14-18(3), Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly Interim Report?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. We have concluded consideration of the report.

Committee, we have next agreed to consider Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019, which is Tabled Document 381-18(3). I will turn to the Minister of Finance for opening comments. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2018-2019. The document provides for an increase of $2.5 million to the infrastructure budget.

The two items included in these supplementary estimates are:

$2.5 million to complete the implementation of junior kindergarten infrastructure in the remaining 10 schools; and

$374,000 for the Slave Geological Province Corridor Project.

These expenditures will be fully offset by funding from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair. I would be happy to answer questions that Members may have. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Do you have witnesses?

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses for the record.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have to my right Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister, Department of Finance, secretary to the FMB; and I have Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar, who is deputy secretary to the FMB. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Are there any general comments on the supplementary estimates, or can we get right into it? General comments. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, Mr. Chairman, I was going into detail. I will wait for detail.

Thank you, committee. It looks like the desire of committee is to get into the detail, so please turn to page 6, Education, Culture and Employment. Comments or questions on page 6? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know that this is just to get all of the items needed for four-year-olds in the schools. I am wondering if this includes the construction of the school here in Yellowknife that would involve shifting a lot of students around, including junior kindergarten? The school, Sissons, is being, I guess, rebuilt on the same spot, so they are moving students around the city. They have junior and kindergarten students there. If any of those students are moving into schools that currently don't have junior kindergarten, or kindergarten, for that matter, both of those grades, maybe even grade one for all I know, would this be included here, or is this included elsewhere?

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That information is not included in this particular appropriation request. This is for the playgrounds on 10 remaining schools. That is the infrastructure that we are talking about. My understanding is the washroom renovations in all 28 identified schools are complete, so I don't think that it includes the information.

Sorry, Minister?

Through you, Mr. Chair, I would like to go to Minister Cochrane.

Thank you. Would Minister Cochrane care to assist Minister McLeod?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Minister McLeod is correct. This money is actually just for the implementation of the playgrounds and a couple of washrooms. The cost was higher in the northern communities than we projected. The money for the relocation of students for Sissons School has not been determined yet. They are still working out the allocations on where those children will go with the school board, the Yellowknife School Board is doing that, and also, what the cost, what the needs will be, whether they will need modules, et cetera.

Until that work is done, we won't know what the cost is. If necessary, then we will be approaching for a supplementary to see if we can get it at that time, but at this time, we do not know what the costs are, so it is unreasonable to ask for money. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am just wondering why this work is taking so long. Can I get an explanation? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister McLeod.

[Microphone off] including increased scope of work, design and procurement issues, and limited contract approval in a couple of the regions have resulted in higher than anticipated material and construction costs or project delays. Delayed installation of playground equipment in the schools is scheduled for summer 2019. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So is all of this work going to be done by April 1, 2019? Is that the plan? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The plan is, because of the delay, it will be scheduled for the summer of 2019, which is beyond April 1st. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am certainly not a financial wiz. Why is this thing a supplementary appropriation for 2018-2019 when the work is actually going to take place after April 1st, into the new year, 2019-2020? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To install equipment, first you must purchase it, and I think that is one of the reasons. Well, that is the reason we have the new supplementary appropriation, is that the equipment needs to be purchased. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So this money is actually just for purchasing equipment; then the installation is going to happen after April 1st. Is that going to require another supplementary appropriation, for the installation costs? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. Stewart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I believe this amount is for both the purchase of the equipment and the installation, so there will be some carry-overs on the installation side, but this will help them to get started with getting the contractors in place and ordering equipment. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am sure everyone wants to get this work done as quickly as possible. I think kids are being put at risk because they do not have proper washroom facilities and there is not proper playground equipment for them. I guess I would urge that we get this work done as quickly as possible. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. We would like to see all of this work done as quickly and as soon as possible. We will get the equipment purchased. As I said earlier, all of the washrooms have been completed, so that is not the issue. It's just getting the playground equipment installed. I agree with the Member. We need to ensure that we have all of this work done for the children of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks.

Nothing further from Mr. O'Reilly. 2018-2019 Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, Education, Culture and Employment, early childhood and school services, not previously authorized, $2,493,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed.

Thank you. 2018-2019 Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, Education, Culture and Employment, total department, not previously authorized, $2,493,000. Does committee agree?

Agreed.