Thank you, Minister. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are in the process of updating our department total variance reports for the second quarter, and as we go through the year and look at our third quarter variances, if some departments are showing some pressures in specific areas, then we might be looking at doing a supplemental for some of those areas. The uptake in income security might be one of those areas. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, income security, not previously authorized, $2,551,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, total department, not previously authorized, $13,452,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, we will now consider the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, page 8. I will now open the floor to general comments on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. If there are no further comments, does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we are on page 6. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, corporate management, not previously authorized, $58,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, total department, not previously authorized, $58,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, we will now consider the Department of Finance on page 7. I will now open the floor to general comments on the Department of Finance. If there are no further comments, does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we are on page 7. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, information systems shared services, not previously authorized, $2,412,000. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was looking for this money in Education, Culture and Employment, but I see some of it is here in Finance, the money to safely reopen NWT schools. I know some of this money came from the Government of Canada. I am very happy to see it. I know many of our school boards are struggling. They don't have the ability to run a deficit or to rack up debt such as we do, so their fiscals are much tighter. I guess my question is: after we approve this, when can we see that money actually get to the school boards, and is it being agreed upon how it will be distributed to the education authorities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
I suggest that go to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, please.
Thank you, Minister. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is money in Finance and there is money in ECE because the funding initiative was a joint venture. Finance provided funds for the technology, primarily, so the Chromebooks, Internet access, and things like that. The work to get those out the door is underway. For the most part, the total amount of money is being split evenly between the school boards. There were some school boards that needed additional teaching positions, so note that money is flowing to those specific school boards versus those that did not need those positions. We have allocated a good chunk of the education authorities' budget already, so it's not like this money is needed at this point. Right now, they do not need to spend this money. They have the money they can spend right now, but this is to cover additional expenses that will be incurred. I have not heard any concerns from any of the school boards about being able to spend the money. It's getting to them when it needs to get to them. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. No further comments? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can I just get a little bit more detail on the split here between Education, Culture and Employment and Finance? What specifically are these funds for with the Department of Finance, and what do they have to do with safely reopening schools? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The portion of the funding that is coming from the ISSS is for the technology component so, more specifically, to include a procurement of 1,641 Chromebooks, as well as Turbo Sticks, which is meant right immediately to provide an ability for students to access online school resources and to help reduce the costs to their families. There is also a reserve of 750 units that is also being procured so that, in the event that they may need more of those units quickly, they are available. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Look, I think it is worthwhile to make sure that students have computers for distance education, so can someone explain to me who is eligible for these Chromebooks? Is it public school students, high school students? Is it based on need? Is there some geographic distribution? Who is actually eligible for them? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. While the acquisition, distribution, and inventory does go through ISSS, I would suggest that we go to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment again for any details with respect to the students specifically.
Thank you, Minister. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Primarily, most students are able to attend school full-time, and that is especially true for most students between junior kindergarten and grade nine. There are a few students in grade 10, 11, and some in grade 12 who do have to, at this point, attend school part-time, whether it's every second day, whether it's in the mornings and not the afternoons. Those are the students who are being targeted. There are also students who are over 19 who aren't allowed back in the schools by order of the Chief Public Health Officer, and so they have to participate remotely.
ECE, Finance, and the school boards are all working collaboratively to determine where to best put those resources, so there are daily conversations with the superintendents and with ECE to make sure that those units get to where they need to go to. Some schools have also used their own funds to purchase Chromebooks and other technology, and they are distributing that as they need. I won't say it complicates the matter, but it means that there won't be a division of these units on a per-capita basis. It's being done collaboratively, I can assure the Member of that. The school boards are full partners in the distribution of this technology. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. No further comments? Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, information systems shared services, not previously authorized, $2,412,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, Management Board Secretariat, not previously authorized, negative $185,000. Does committee agree? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm just trying to figure out why there is a negative figure in here. Did we overpay airlines? What is happening here? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are two things being reflected under this section. The first is the funding to the airlines, a large proportion of which did come through Transport Canada. Then the second part is that there is a transfer of funding here to Health and Social Services that came in through Finance as part of the federal government supports. It's just the way that it has worked out that it looks like a negative, but it's because it includes both those two portions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to thank my colleague from Nunakput who raised this concern earlier this week, about what, if any, strings were attached to the airline assistance, maintaining minimum levels of service to communities, and so on. Can someone just explain to me a little bit more about how that works? What kinds of strings are attached, if any, to the funding to the airlines? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first round of funding came in without the same sorts of strings attached, but when a second round of funding came through, there are requirements now that the airlines that are benefitting do have to sign an agreement with the Department of Finance. It includes minimum service schedules. I would also note, Mr. Chair, there is a small hold-back amount where they have to report back to the Department of Finance before the complete amount is paid out to them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't need this information now, but can the Minister commit to sharing what those minimum service levels are with Regular MLAs so we have some sense of what the airlines are committing to? I think that is probably of interest, particularly for the MLAs from smaller, remote communities. Can the Minister commit to sharing that information with us? If it needs to be done in confidence, I'm fine with that, but I think it would be helpful to have. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. I see her and her entourage shaking their heads yes. Minister?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I am happy to make that commitment. I would just say for the moment that we may have to do it confidentially. I don't have the contribution agreement in front of me. In the event that there is something in that agreement that would require it to be confidential, we'll do so. Otherwise, one way or the other, we'll make sure to share it.
Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, Management Board Secretariat, not previously authorized, negative $185,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, Office of the Comptroller General, not previously authorized, $3,561,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, total department, not previously authorized, $5,788,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
