Okay. Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with expenditures on behalf of Members, starting on page 8. Questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I would like an explanation of the increase for the Members' pension expenses between the current financial year and what is being requested for 2021-2022. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
I will turn that to Ms. Wickens.
Ms. Wickens.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The change in Members' pension expense is an increase to $340,000, and the change is a result of the changes in membership resulting from the election. The new membership and lower discount rate increased liability, which resulted in an increase to the pension expense.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. It's not as if anybody is going to get a pension increase, then. This is, as I remember, a defined benefit pension. It's just that we have more members that are eligible to draw down now. That's what's happened here. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Chair. No, this does not raise the pension benefits for Members. The contribution ensures that pension plans are funded to a level to meet current and future needs of the Assembly pension plan.
Thank you. Are there any further questions on expenditures on behalf of Members? Seeing none, please turn to page 9, Legislative Assembly, expenditures on behalf of Members, operations expenditures summary, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $9,957,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now turn to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, beginning on page 10, with information items on page 12. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I understand that funding for the Chief Electoral Office is somewhat cyclical. If we look in 2019-2020, an election year, it's $1,486,000, and then from year to year, it's about $500 million. However, I see that there is an increase here. Can I just get an explanation why there is an increase outside of an election year? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. I'll turn this over to Ms. Wickens.
Ms. Wickens.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The increase in the expenses for the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is a result of staffing. They are hiring an elections administer as well as a deputy chief electoral officer to begin to staff the office to prepare for the election in 2023.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is kind of: we slowly bring on positions to build back up to that number, and then we go down again. Do we have any kind of projections for what next year looks like that could be provided to Members? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. As mentioned, we look to have the deputy officer for Chief Electoral Officer and also administrative staff. I'll see if Ms. Wickens would like to add anything. Thank you.
Ms. Wickens.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Chief Electoral Officer has identified that there will be increases in both the staff for next year and as well as an increase to prepare for the election, which will include currently right now the systems are hibernation. There will be more money put to those next fiscal, as well.
Thank you. Are there any further questions under the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer? Seeing none, please turn to page 11, Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, operations expenditure summary, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $514,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now go to the Office of the Clerk, beginning on page 13, with information items up to page 16. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see there is approximately a $600,000 increase to contract services. Can I have an explanation of what that is for?
Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll turn this over to Ms. Wickens.
Ms. Wickens.
Thank you, Madam Chair. One of the big increases for the Office of the Clerk, particularly with contract services, is interior renos. What we're going to be having is renovations as a result of an increase in staff, so that's approximately estimated at about $414,000 as well as the board of management has approved the work on the establishment of a monument for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and that's approximately $75,000.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There is some money to kind of retrofit the current building to allow more office space. Can I get how many staff are we adding to the Office of the Clerk and what those positions are?
Thank you, Member. Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll turn this over to Ms. Wickens.
Thank you. Ms. Wickens.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We're actually only having an increase of one within the Office of the Clerk. However, as a result, we currently have 24 office spaces within the Office of the Clerk, and we require 30. The increase in office space is just to accommodate our current and new staff coming on.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that there are a couple of positions in other areas. What is the one position being added to the Office of the Clerk? Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
I'll turn this over to Ms. Wickens.
Thank you. Ms. Wickens.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The new position is an official languages and public outreach position.
Thank you. Are there any further questions to the Office of the Clerk? Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just looking at page 15 at the capital area development fund, contribution I see that there was no contribution made in 2019-2020, but $50,000 for the last year or so. Just curious to know if Mr. Speaker or the Minister could speak to where this money was used and sort of maybe to the efficacy of it, how well it did? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker.
Sorry, I don't have an earpiece here. Could the Member repeat the question, please?
I'll just get you an earpiece, just wait. All right. Can you hear me? Can you repeat your question?
Sure. That will actually hopefully make me be able to make it clearer. I'm just curious to know a little bit more about the capital area development fund on page 15. I note that there was no money for it in 2019-2020. I think it sounds like a great idea from reading the description. If the Minister could just speak to how that money was used and how efficient it has been used in the capital. Thank you, Madam Chair.
