Debates of February 23, 2021 (day 59)

Thank you, Deputy Minister Young. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Based on this, then, is this fund going to be stopping in 2024? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Ms. Eleanor Young respond. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Young.

Speaker: MS. YOUNG

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the Small Community Fund ends in 2024, but since that agreement was signed, we have also had the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund and now the Investing in Canada Plan. They tend to stagger them so that one does not end and we wait for a new one to begin. The Small Community Fund is ending, but we are halfway through the Investing in Canada Plan, roughly, so that there is overlap between the different programs. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We should make sure other Members are aware this covers a wide kind of spectrum of different things, like highways. I am just going to read down a short list here: public transit, regional airports, short sea shipping, culture, recreation, tourism. This covers quite a bit, so my next question is: how do we pick and choose how we allocate this, the main estimate of 18, almost $18.8 million? That is for the Minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister of MACA.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have Deputy Minister Young respond. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy Minister Young.

Speaker: MS. YOUNG

Thank you, Madam Chair. The New Building Canada Plan was a territorial agreement. There was a portion of the funding targeted to territorial projects, and then there was the Small Community Fund component of it which was targeted to community governments. For the Small Community Fund, a piece of it, the part that MACA is responsible for, it was targeted to community government projects, and the final approval on all projects rests with Canada. For example, something like rail or sea ports, that's not within the community government area of responsibility, so Canada wouldn't approve a project in that category for a community government. If a territorial or provincial government applied, they might consider approval in that case, but for the piece that MACA is dealing with, it's just community government projects that are being sought and brought forward. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That leads me to my next question. I know the federal government, they usually have really strict guidelines for whenever proposals get sent to them. Let's say a project doesn't get approved by the federal government and that money is not allocated. What happens to those funds, then? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister of MACA.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll have Deputy Minister Young respond. Thank you.

Thank you. Deputy Minister Young.

Speaker: MS. YOUNG

Thank you, Madam Chair. The first effort is by MACA to make sure that the project proceeds with the community government, and that's part of what our role in the administration of the program is. If, at the end of the 10 years, the community has not pursued the project, has not spent the money, and we have not been able to work with the community to apply for a different project, the terms of the agreement require us to pay Canada the money back. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let's hope we don't pay that money back and try to use whatever we can because we could use all the help we can get. I'm going down that list again. We see things like connectivity and broadband. That's an issue in a lot of our small communities. We talk about the cell phone service down the highways; I mean, yes. Anyways, that's merely a comment. I don't have any further questions on this. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Are there any further comments or questions to the Municipal and Community Affairs, sports, recreation and youth, or to the worked performed on behalf of others? Seeing none, please turn to page 356. Municipal and Community Affairs, sports, recreation and youth, operations expenditure summary, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $5,507,000. Does committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you. Members, please return now to the departmental summary on page 327. Municipal and Community Affairs, operations expenditures, total department, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $121,132,000. Mr. Norn.

Committee Motion 78-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Municipal and Community Affairs - Deferral of Department, Carried

Thank you. I had my hand up there. I thought you forgot about me. Madam Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Consideration of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, operations expenditure, total department, is deferred. Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us tonight. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Mr. Norn, what is the wish of committee?

Madam Chair, I move that we rise and report progress.

The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Report of Committee of the Whole