Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The revision of the number of beds went from 400-something down to 160-something. I guess that's based on data, analysis, statistics, and whatever, but will the Minister make that information available to us as Members? Will it be shared with the public how they arrived at those numbers? I know people in Hay River are going to want to see how those were arrived at. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, I tabled the Bureau of Statistics study on the long-term care bed projections, and I also tabled the department's response to that study. Both of those are on the Legislative Assembly website, and of course, they are public documents available to everyone to look at. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following documents: Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 503-19(2), Housing Shortage in Nunakput; and Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 574-19(2), Emergency Shelters. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 584-19(2): Community Wellness Plans;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 586-19(2): Stanton Territorial Hospital Medical Detox Service;" and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 602-19(2): Response to Medical Emergencies in Small Communities." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee would like to consider the following documents: Tabled Document 349-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021; Tabled Document 348-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021; Committee Report 12-19(2), Report on the Review of Bill of 20, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act; and lastly, Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act. Marsi cho, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item.
---SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 349-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021. Does the Minister of Finance have opening remarks?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Tabled Document 349-19(2): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021. The supplementary estimates propose to add $36.1 million to the 2020-2021 operating budget, of this $30.8 million will be offset by revenues from the Government of Canada. Major items included in these supplementary estimates include:
$30.8 million to fund the GNWT's continued efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
-
$28.2 million for costs funded by the Government of Canada's Northern Bundle 3,
-
$2.4 million for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to increase supports to workforce development programs. These costs are fully offset by funding under the Canada-Northwest Territories Workforce Development Agreement, and,
-
$263,000 for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to support NWT sport organizations. These costs are fully offset by funding under the COVID-19 Emergency Support for Sport Organizations Agreement.
$4.3 million for the Department of Health and Social Services to fund increased costs in out-of-territory hospitals; adult out-of-territory supportive living services; and supplementary health benefits.
That concludes my opening remarks.
Thank you, Minister. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, will you please introduce your witnesses for the record?
Thank you, Madam Chair. On the right, Sandy Kalgutkar, secretary to the Financial Management Board, and on the left, Jamie Koe, deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board.
Thank you. Welcome. I will now open the floor for general comments. Seeing no general comments, we will review the supplementary estimates by department. The committee has agreed to forgo general comments on each department. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee has agreed to begin the review with the Department of Education, Cultural and Employment. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Questions? Okay. We will begin with page 4, Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, labour development and advanced education, not previously authorized, $2,400,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Okay. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021, Department of Education, Culture and Employment, total department, not previously authorized, $2,400,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Finance on page 5. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, directorate, not previously authorized, $4,537,000. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. The housing repair initiative, how is that going to be actually used by the Housing Corporation, $4 million? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding is that this funding is being used to help accelerate repairs, particularly on vacant units or units that required repairs to be liveable in order that, particularly, remote or rural communities would start to have necessary space for people who may need to self-isolate. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. This is coming almost at the very end of the fiscal year. Has the money already been used and allocated, and how many units were fixed up and used as a result of this federal funding? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the funding was already advanced through the department for this purpose, and my understanding is that this has helped support repairs to 108 previously vacant units in 24 different communities.
Thank you. Member.
Thanks. Nothing further.
Thank you. Are there any other questions? Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021, Department of Finance, directorate, not previously authorized, $4,537,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, we will now consider the Department of Health and Social Services, on page 6. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2020-2021, Department of Health and Social Services, administrative and support services, not previously authorized, $269,000. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I had understood that the old hospital was going to be demolished. Can someone tell me when that is going to happen? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not certain about the demolishing of the old one, although I know that the new facility is coming online in May 2021, so it may be that the demolishing of the old will coincide with the new. I can confirm if that's incorrect, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member.
Thanks. Yes. I think we actually approved other money, maybe it was in the mains for 2020-2021 for this. As I understand it, not all the old services could be housed in the new hospital, so some are still being run out of the old hospital. The building is not in very good shape. The roofs are caving in, and so on. I just wonder how much more are we going to spend on a building that is going to get demolished before these services are moved into a new building. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. When the Hay River Health Centre was opened, it did not house all of the same facilities that were in the old building that is now scheduled for demolition. That was intentional at the time in terms of design of the new facility for the hospital, with the intention that this would be an opportunity to use spaces in the community for those additional services that weren't going to fit in there. As it was, that didn't work out, and that's why there is now the new facility that is being built for May 2021. As a result of which, rather than spending the money on the leases for those services, they are, of course, now having to instead continue to maintain enough within the old facility to house those services. This is homecare, social services, public health, environmental health, and community counselling. Those services are the ones that we're talking about that do need to remain housed somewhere. Right now, Madam Chair, because the expectation of the May 2021 opening is on track and on target, I am not expecting, at this point, to have to return any further, that those programs should be moving into their new facility on time. Thank you, Madam Chair.
