Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following nine documents entitled "Final Report on Implementation of the Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories 2016-2019"; "Consolidated Report of the Implementation Committee - Tlicho Agreement 2015/16 to 2018/19"; "Consolidated Report of the Implementation Committee - Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018"; "Consolidated Report of the Implementation Committee - Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement 2009/10 to 2014/15"; "Report of the Implementation Coordinating Committee - Inuvialuit Final Agreement 2016-2017 and 2017-2018"; "Annual Report of the Implementation Committee - Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2017"; "Annual Report of the Implementation Committee - Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement April 1, 2017 - March 31, 2018"; "Annual Report of the Implementation Committee - Deline Final Self-Government Agreement, April 1, 2016 - March 31, 2018"; and "Annual Report of the Implementation Committee - Deline Final Self-Government Agreement April 1, 2017 - March 31, 2018." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents entitled "Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 24-18(3): Report on the Review of Bill 48: Post-Secondary Education Act"; "Doing Our Part: Initial Response to 'Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls', August 2019"; "2018-2019 Annual Report - Status of Women Council of the N.W.T."; and "Annual Report: 2017-2018 Canada-NWT Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Bilateral Agreement and Action Plan." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents entitled "Northwest Territories Liquor Licensing Board 65th Annual Report 2018-2019"; "Northwest Territories Liquor and Cannabis Commission 65th Annual Report"; "Annual Report 2018-19 of the Northwest Territories Hydro Corporation & Northwest Territories Power Corporation," and "Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 (April 1 to June 30, 2019) Pursuant to Section 74 of the Financial Administration Act." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Energy Initiatives Report 2018-19"; and "2030 Energy Strategy / Energy Action Plan Report, August 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Two document to table: excerpts from "Wha Ti Community Energy Plan - Options for Energy Supply and Management for Wha Ti, Northwest Territories"; and excerpts from "Northwest Territories Energy Report, May 2011." Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table three documents: "The Gordon Foundation - Policy Memo: Ways forward in addiction programming in Fort Simpson, NT. Dene Gogondie, Voices of the People" by Kristen Tanche, Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship; "The Gordon Foundation: Creating Ethical Spaces for On-the-Land Learning" by Chloe Dragon Smith of the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship; and the last one "The Gordon Foundation: Negotiating the Dehcho: Protecting Dene Ahthit'e through Modern Treaty-Making" by Don Couturier, Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I call committee to order. What is the wishes of committee? Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 511-18(3): Capital Estimates 2020-2021. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. We will resume after a short break. Thank you, Committee.
---SHORT RECESS
I call committee back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 511-18(3): Capital Estimates 2020-2021. Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm here to present the GNWT's 2020-2021 Capital Estimates. These capital estimates total $398.6 million, and continue to support the infrastructure priorities of this Assembly, as well as continued infrastructure investment in our communities. Major highlights of the plan include:
$134 million for highways, winter roads, bridges, and culverts. This includes funding of $84 million towards the Tlicho All-season Road project and $10 million for the Mackenzie Valley All-season Road;
$52 million for health facility replacements, renovations, and equipment, including $20 million for long-term care facilities and $2 million for a vulnerable persons shelter;
$45 million for various energy projects under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan;
$33.4 million for new education facilities and renovations to existing schools;
$29 million in continued funding to support community governments with their infrastructure needs;
$15.5 million for one airport replacement and improvements to other airports;
$8.8 million for deferred maintenance and energy upgrades to existing GNWT assets; and
$6.5 million for new and enhanced information technology upgrades.
As in previous years, the 2020-2021 Capital Estimates do not include appropriations for housing infrastructure proposed by the NWT Housing Corporation. The corporation's 2020-2021 capital plan is proposed to be $11.7 million and is included in these capital estimates as an information item.
Including this amount, total infrastructure spending in the NWT for 2020-2021 is estimated to be approximately $410 million. That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. We have agreed to begin with general comments. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my right, I have Mr. David Stewart, who is the deputy minister of Finance. To my left, I have Mr. Terence Courtoreille, who is director of MBS, the Management Board Secretariat. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Before we commence or start with general comments, I wish to remind Members that we have reserved another event coming later. I will now open the floor to general comments. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My first question is to ask the Minister if the Minister could give us the number or the amount of the carry-overs from fiscal year 2018-2019. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The quick answer to the Member's question is there is $120 million in carry-overs. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm hoping that the rate changes a bit. That's about 50 percent. We have actuals of $126 million. I'm wondering if the Minister of Finance could advise us if that is something that he has discussed with the various departments responsible for delivering our infrastructure and our capital. I'm wondering if there's a plan to ensure that we're not carrying over $200 million worth of capital at the end of this fiscal year 2020-2021. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have had a conversation with the department about the amount of carry-overs we have within the government's capital estimates, and I think I said when I was before committee that we try to work with all of our Aboriginal partners to try to come up with some of the work made available to them using some of the processes we have, and that might slow our progress down in trying to get some of these projects out the door as quickly as we would like. I think that's the reason we have carry-overs sometimes, is for different reasons, different ways of doing business in the Northwest Territories.
I think I had said that, if we had just taken our capital budget out and put everything out for public tender, I think we'd have people in place right away, but we also hear concern from Members of the Legislative Assembly about keeping the work available to NWT residents, and that's what we try to do. Sometimes, it may cause us to have some carry-overs, but if that's the price we have to pay to keep a lot of the work with the people of the Northwest Territories, then I think we should be willing to pay that price. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.
