Thank you, committee. The next activity is the Management Board Secretariat, beginning on page 147. Do committee members have questions on the Management Board Secretariat? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I will start on one of my favourite topics, and that's the lack of transparency with regard to the carbon tax. Here, on page148, we have carbon tax offset for 2021 at $22,988,000. On the next page, it's a different figure. It's out by maybe $12,000 or something. Should those be the same? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I was just confirming that the difference between the two that is the amount that is used for administration of the tax, so there is a portion that goes towards administration and not only to the offset. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Maybe the main estimates are not the greatest place to actually lay out what money is collected and what it is actually used for, but where would I find in the budget what amount is actually rebated and what amount we actually retain? Is that anywhere here in the Department of Finance? Did I miss it somewhere? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I have made a previous commitment in another forum to do a better job of reporting on that and to ensure that those reports are made in a timely fashion. Indeed, I also think that I may have made a commitment, at one point or another, to take the draft document before preparing the report to committee so that they can have some input on what that report is going to look like. I expect that commitment is going to be fulfilled very soon so that reporting can be done in a way that is transparent and is as useable and functional as possible. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Just generally in here, though, I see that the carbon tax offset is about $23 million, and some of it is, I guess, used for administration, or some portion of what is collected is used for administration. I guess, I look over at the revenue page, and maybe I'm not supposed to be looking over on page 134. I see it looks like we raise about $28.739 million of carbon tax and that we give back about $22.98 million in offsets. How much do we actually retain? How much are we actually going to retain this year, and what is it going to be used for? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, thank you. I believe that there is approximately $5.8 million in carbon tax revenue available that is to be directed towards investments that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, at this point, the process of how those are being allocated is still part of the business planning process, so it's not allocated within the main estimates that are in front of committee right now. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that. Does that money actually technically go into the consolidated revenue fund, or is it actually set up as a separate fund or revolving fund? I think I know the answer, but I just want to get this on the public record. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is part of the consolidated revenue fund. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, so this is part of the problem. I tried to get this fixed in the last Assembly, and it's not. This is basically money that is at the complete discretion of Cabinet and doesn't even have to be used for energy investments. It can be used for whatever Cabinet wants to use it for, I guess, as approved by this Assembly. Do we actually have any rules yet set out for how the grants are going to be accessed? I know I asked the Minister in the House back in December about this issue. Are those rules or guidelines in place yet for accessing the grant money that is available? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I am alive that the Member has previously spoken about this topic, and I believe that I have previously made commitments to ensure that the draft materials for seeking those grants and for making application for those grants would be provided to committee for input before being finalized. I believe I will be completing that commitment in the very near future. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I really look forward to getting that and some kind of improved reporting around the monies that we collect under the carbon tax, what it's used for, and then, how effective, if any of it is being reinvested, it is in terms of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. I think that's what we owe to the public, and whether there is any sort of resulting change in fuel consumption behaviour patterns and so on, and, as a result of that, whether there are any greenhouse gas reductions. That is the kind of information that I think we owe to our public to report on.
There are some questions that I have on the Heritage Fund, Madam Chair, but I am going to leave that until we hit the schedule further down into the department. I think that is all I have for now. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Are there any other comments on the Management Board Secretariat? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me know if I'm in the wrong section here, but I do notice that there is some mention of some P3s on here. We have the Mackenzie Valley fibre link on here. I am just wondering what the process is for us entering into any further P3 agreements. Is it solely at the discretion of the Minister? Is it a Cabinet decision? Does that decision ever come through this side of the House? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, there is a detailed policy, and it is a complex process, one that I have been familiarizing myself with, but in the interest of everyone's time, I will ask the deputy minister to provide some further detail. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. In addition to the policy, there is a P3 framework that guides the development of any P3 project that is being considered by the Assembly. The framework starts with the development of a business case to ensure that the proposed project qualifies or is appropriate under a P3 approach, and that triggers a fairly extensive consultation process with standing committee. At each major decision point, the Department of Finance is required to check in with standing committee to make sure that they are still supporting to proceed with the project. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As part of that process, does committee have the ability to discuss the quantity of northern contractors used in the P3? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Minister. My next question is in regard to the NWT Heritage Fund here. Within the act itself, it doesn't stipulate how much Cabinet will contribute to the Heritage Fund on an annual basis. Will this Cabinet commit to contributing 25 percent of the net fiscal benefit annually to the Heritage Fund for the length of this Assembly? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, we will continue to comply with the agreement that established the Heritage Fund and that establishes the contribution levels. Thank you.
Thank you for that. Are there any further questions on the Management Board Secretariat? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to, I guess, the benefit transfer to Aboriginal parties, what parties are receiving that benefit? Which Aboriginal groups? All of them, or some of them? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, it is Indigenous governments who are a party to the devolution agreement. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So the parties that are not signatories, are there monies set aside for those parties in anticipation that they will sign on? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, I think perhaps Madam Premier could answer this from Intergovernmental Affairs.
Thank you, Minister. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do save the royalties received for a period of one year, because we are still, and any Indigenous government that would like to sign on to devolution is welcome to do that, we're one party of it. We don't see ourselves as the controller. I see myself as one party. Then, after a year, we bring it back to the Intergovernmental Council and we let all Indigenous governments around the table decide what is going to be done with that funding. So, again, it is specific money delegated for Indigenous governments that sign on to devolution, and we're still open to having as many as possible join us. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So who makes up the Intergovernmental Council? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Madam Premier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Before devolution went on, we had approached all of the Indigenous governments; before my time, so this is my understanding. We approached all of the Indigenous governments, gave them an offer to sign on. Those who signed on to devolution and agreed to be part of it share in the royalties that are obtained from devolution. Those who chose not to sign on do not get the devolution shares, but they might also get portions within their own self-government agreements or land claims, or just their own assets; but the devolution is specifically for those who signed on to devolution, and it is still open. Devolution is not finished; we're still in the process, so there are still opportunities for Indigenous governments to sign on. If anyone is hearing, that would be my biggest plea: sign on; be part of us. We want to share. Thank you, Madam Chair.
