The next activity is labour development and advanced education, not previously authorized, $832,000. Questions or comments? Seeing none, labour development and advanced education, not previously authorized, $832,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $2,095,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Please turn to page 5. We are now considering the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, and we will proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures) No. 1, 2020-2021, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, corporate management, not previously authorized, $322,000. Questions? Comments? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. The increase to the Community Harvester Assistance Program, as I understand, this is probably even an over-subscribed program. Is there going to be some effort to continue to increase that, especially in light of the pandemic and so on? What is the status of that program? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe, and I probably will hear whispers if I'm wrong, that this program is actually under review right now. There certainly is a recognition of the importance of increasing access to the ability to undertake harvesting, but there is a recognition that there needs to be a real encouragement to young people and to provide mentorship. This does, indeed, cover the shortfall. This covers the difference between the actual subscriptions and requests, as compared to the base funding. There is not an intent at this moment in time to necessarily increase that further, but I think there is certainly a desire to ensure that there is movement toward supporting young people to undertake mentorship. In the meantime, the shortfall on this program has been topped up. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Any sense of when this review is going to be completed, and can I get a commitment out of somebody to share that with the Regular MLAs? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have a date here, and I think, just in light of the fact that, sadly, again, with COVID-19 there may have been some delays, may or may not, but I will make the commitment that we'll get that confirmation of the target date to the Member.
Thank you, Minister. Member.
Thanks, Madam Chair. That was the first part of my question. There were two parts, though. The second part was: can I get a commitment out of someone, a Minister, to share that in draft form with standing committee before it's finalized and released? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, that makes sense, now, the whispers I was hearing behind me. Yes, they will make sure that the report does get shared with the committee. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Any other questions, comments, under corporate management? All right. Corporate management, not previously authorized, $322,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Environmental stewardship and climate change, not previously authorized, $1,468,000. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to see that we are establishing a climate change council. Is there a terms of reference, or do we know who is going to be on that climate change council? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. No, I don't think that those steps necessarily have been taken yet, but I'm fairly confident that the Minister of ENR will want to work with getting those forward and keeping committee informed as the steps progress. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that there is $1.4 million here for Part 2 of the Climate Change Strategic Framework Action Plan. I believe part 2 is some of the most important work we're doing in the GNWT. There are a number of research components to it that will essentially show what the costs are. It will allow us to finish our hazard mapping for communities. It will allow us to get a lot more information for private owners of the risks their buildings are experiencing due to climate change, especially melting permafrost. I do think there is a lot of change and work that still needs to be done on the action plan, but first and foremost, when I look at Part 2 of the Climate Change Strategic Framework Action Plan, $1.4 million doesn't come close to even implementing what it's attempting, so can I get a sense from the Minister of whether this is sufficient funding to implement our action plan? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This funding is to get Phase 2 of the climate change action plan moving forward, but certainly, depending on the outcomes of what is found in that study, there may well be fairly significant asks that come forward as a result of that. However, this is certainly the next step, and this is a sufficient amount of money in order to be able to take that next step and to then provide the information required to determine what future steps might be needed. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Part of the issues and why we're creating a climate change council is that the Auditor General said there is a lack of authority and clear direction of who is in charge of climate change in the GNWT, and some of that accountability is missing. Much of the research and work to be done in part 2 is addressing that. I'm looking for a commitment out of the Minister that the terms of reference of the climate change council will be shared. Ultimately, in order for them to succeed, we're going to have to really break down some departmental silos, and they are going to have to be able to make not recommendations, basically orders that we build things a certain way, we assess things a certain way, and really reach into departments to have that transformative adaptation, if we hope to remotely keep a stable budget in light of the costs we're going to see due to climate change. That's a lot I'm asking. Can I have a commitment from the Minister that the terms of reference and who is on the climate change council will be shared with the appropriate committee? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the terms of reference will be shared with committee, and perhaps that will be an opportunity at that time for the Member to address the more detailed questions to the department when they are before committee at that stage. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Any further questions or comments? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. The line item on this page that my colleague from Yellowknife North just mentioned was the Part 2 of the Climate Change Strategic Framework Action Plan, and I was just looking at the document. It goes on for pages and pages. What specific parts is this going to fund? The value of that work has got to be probably in the neighbourhood of tens of millions of dollars. What specifically is this work going to accomplish? If the Minister can't give it to us now, it would be helpful to get that list and communicate that to the public, as well, because I have no idea what we're actually approving here. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I know this is a particular project that involves collaboration between ENR, ITI, ECE, Health and Social Services, and MACA. Quite a number of departments have come together on this and are collaborating on their existing resources to advance this project. Some of this funding is, indeed, to secure additional staff between these departments so that there can be more dedicated resources to advancing some of the items that are contained within the action plan as it stands right now. I suppose a more detailed analysis of what each of these items will be related to those staffings, opportunities, we certainly can commit to providing that back to the Member. I hope that's at least somewhat helpful at this stage. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I want to be fair here. I support spending more on climate change, but without getting into the action plan itself, it is probably in the neighbourhood of about 50 pages. As I said, pages and pages and pages of action areas, potential partners, potential resources, but none of it is costed. This was a criticism of the action plan when it was being developed from SCEDE. We tried to encourage the Minister of the day to include some costing with some of this. Now we're being asked to approve $1.4 million without knowing what it's going to be spent on. I want to invest more on climate change, but I have no idea what this is for. We haven't gotten any information about that. I think this has been, anyways, how much else can I say? With some of the other items, we get additional information, but on this one, we don't have anything. I want to see more money invested, but I think we just need to be a bit more careful in explaining what some of these line items are in the future, as well. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually asked Mr. Koe. I think it may not be very detailed. Some of it, we do, at least, have a list of the intended or expected activities in 2020-2021. If I could turn it over to him, please?
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Koe.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I do have a little bit of a list here that I can share with committee. ITI for their climate change framework, the activities that would be focused on in 2020-2021, ITI would focus on permafrost monitoring and modelling. That supports a number of departments to meet their mandate commitments. For ENR, climate monitoring to assist in understanding adaption needs. MACA would be working on community infrastructure, adaption, and planning; health on health-related adaption; ECE on archeological inventory and retention of vulnerable locations. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Koe. Did you have any further questions, Member for Frame Lake?
Thanks, Madam Chair. That's helpful. I'd like a little more information about specific activities and staffing that are going to be associated with each of the departments that were listed off there. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Any further questions, comments, under this section? Seeing none, environmental stewardship and climate change, not previously authorized, $1,468,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Forest management, not previously authorized, $3,998,000. Questions? Comments? Seeing none, forest management, not previously authorized, $3,998,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Total department, not previously authorized, $5,788,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
We'll turn to page 6. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs operations expenditures and proceed to the detail on page 6. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs, not previously authorized, $300,000. Questions? Comments? Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. I wonder, Madam Chair, what "expansion" means? I'm not quite clear what the definition of that is. Marsi cho.
