Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, you just reiterated what I said, which is that it's going to be dependent on that, so again, I really struggle with why we sit here and have these numbers that are not realistic, creating extra work for ourselves later on to come back and adopt. The answer coming back is, "Well, this is what we do." Well, you are the government; it's what you do. I do believe changes can be made. You just commented that this one could be made, so I am not sure why then that argument flies for other areas, such as travel, et cetera. Yes. More and more, I just feel like this creates confusion, creates areas where the Cabinet or the departments can move money around without us having oversight on it. We are in an unprecedented era, so perhaps the GNWT needs to start doing things in an unprecedented manner instead of just saying, "This is the way we have done it," because we are not in a normal time. I am sitting here trying to agree and pass a budget that you are telling me is not realistic right from the start, so I feel like it makes it very hard for me to do my job and be diligent. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I have also raised my concern with respect to the idea of doing base budgeting and incremental budgeting, which is exactly why I am proposing to do the government renewal initiative and do a value-based budgeting. I am not proposing to simply come in and pick one area or another without evidence and without knowing what the values are and then say we are going to make adjustments. That, to me, is not the right way to make policy changes.
This is a particular item where it is an item that lapses if it is not received because it is owed to Aboriginal parties, and it is not one that we can move around. It does not get moved around. It does not get shovelled. It simply lapses if we do not achieve the amount that is available to be transferred to the Indigenous groups and Indigenous governments, so that does make it a little bit easier and different than some of the other ones which are in base budget amounts. Now, again, I do hope that there are ways that we can start to do a different approach to budgeting, and that is exactly what we are bringing about, starting this year. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you for that. Forgive me if I do not hold a lot of optimism in the GNWT's renewal and studying and the siloed approach, to then again bringing down our silos as we go through department by department. I really do not see that this is going to lead to a lot other than talking for the next two years, nothing changing, and we continue on in the exact same manner. More of a comment. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Are there any further questions under management board secretariat? Member for Thebacha.
I have just got a couple of questions. One of them is, first of all, the Summer Student Employment Program because it comes under human resources and all of this department, so is that going to go back to its original quotas that they had? Last year, they hardly hired anyone. This is the concern that I have.
Thank you, Ms. Martselos. That is back from the human resource section that we passed or we agreed to, but if the Minister of Finance wants to just give a response?
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. There certainly was a pause put on when COVID-19 came about, and there was a lot of uncertainty in what would be happening as workers were all moved to working at home over the spring and summer. Now, that said, as of December 1st, there are openings already posting for students for 2021, for the summer of 2021 as well as for the 2021-2022 internship program, so it is certainly my hope that the program will be back up to full speed and full strength. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
I disagree with one of my colleagues. I believe in the renewal strategy because we have got to start making decisions that are based on proper financial statistics and the dollars that we have and what we have to work with. The way things are done now, it's not okay. That is not the way you would run a business. That is all I have. Just a comment, no more questions.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Are there any further questions under the management board secretariat? Seeing none, it's a good place to stop. Noting the time, I will rise and report progress.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Minister's Statement 77-19(2), National Housing Co-Investment Fund; Tabled Document 165-19(2); Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 1-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 166-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT; Tabled Document 167-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 3-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT; and Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022 and, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you. May I have a seconder? Member for Nunakput. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers' Statements
Members' Statements
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Replies to Budget Address (Day 4 of 7)
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner's Address
Petitions
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
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Minister's Statement 77-19(2), National Housing Co‐Investment Fund
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Tabled Document 165-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 1-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT
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Tabled Document 166-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT
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Tabled Document 167-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 3-19(2): Report on Long-Term Post-Pandemic Recovery - Recommendations to the GNWT
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Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 6:02 p.m.
