Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Plain language summary for Bill 30, An Act to amend the Aurora College Act; Government of the Northwest Territories response to committee bill 1219(2) report on review of Bill 20; An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act; and Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 51019(2), Universal Childcare. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 31, An Act to Amend the Pharmacy Act; and Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 57519(2), Northwest TerritoriesYukon border restrictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act; and, Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation 20212022 corporate plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I wish to table the following document: Redacted meeting summaries for the GNWT Chamber of Mines COVID19 Recovery Working Group, June 2020 to April 2021, obtained under Access to Information. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 4th, 2021, I will move the following motion: Now, therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Government of the Northwest Territories develop a food securities strategy by engaging Northwest Territories residents, harvesters, and agricultural producers to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to programs and services with specific targets, actions, and timelines.
And further, that the Premier appoint a Minister responsible for food security to lead this work; and furthermore, that the food security strategy include the following: The Government of the Northwest Territories prioritize the development of a food security strategy based on the lessons learned from communitybased food security initiatives and to complete this strategy in 12 to 18 months.
The Government of the Northwest Territories begin interdepartmentally advancing food security by identifying principles for NWT food security over the next four months.
The Government of the Northwest Territories coordinate the income assistance review with the development of a Northwest Territories food security strategy to ensure the most vulnerable residents have access to affordable and nutritious food.
The Government of the Northwest Territories review the effectiveness of all Government of the Northwest Territories food security funding programs, as based on the principle for achieving Northwest Territories food security and to revise strategy and to revise program funding where necessary other six to 12 months.
The Government of the Northwest Territories implement communitybased food security coordinators in the most food insecure communities in the Northwest Territories.
The Government of the Northwest Territories remove all of its legislative and regulatory barriers over the next 12 months to facilitate regional sharing of harvested meat or other food products.
The Government of the Northwest Territories pilot an initiative immediately that improves the effectiveness of communitybased freezers, kitchens, and food preparation and storage programs in the highest risk communities and use this experience to inform the development of the food security strategy.
The Government of the Northwest Territories develop and implement tracking of local food production and set specific targets to improve food security; and,
The Government of the Northwest Territories develop and implement a Northwest Territories food security website with email and phone contacts immediately so there's a clear point of contact in the Government of the Northwest Territories to track community concerns and advance initiatives; and furthermore,
That the government respond to this motion within 120 days. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Notices of motion. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 4th, 2021, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, and notwithstanding Rule 4 that when this House adjourns on Friday, June 4th, 2021, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, October 14th, 2021.
And further, at any time prior to October 14th, 2021, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that this House shall meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, or at a time later than the scheduled resumption of the House, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet in the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Whereas Tabled Document 41319(2), Emerging Stronger: Planning the NWT's Economic Recovery Together has been tabled in this House, therefore, I move, and seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Tabled Document 41319(2), Emerging Stronger: Planning the Northwest Territories Social and Economic Recovery Together be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Motion is in order. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 30, An Act to amend the Aurora College Act be read for the second time. This bill amends the Aurora College Act to create a new approach to governance based on the introduction of a competencybased board. The bill also reallocates power from the Minister to the board to allow Aurora College to operate at arm's length from the Minister and limits the role of the Minister in the operations of Aurora College while legislating the role of the Minister and approving the mandate of Aurora College. The bill clarifies the powers and duties of the board and creates the academic council and the Indigenous knowledgeholders council to advise the board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? Motion is carried.
Carried
Bill 30 has has received second reading and is referred to standing committee. Second reading of bills. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that Bill 31, An Act to amend the Pharmacy Act be read for the second time.
This bill amends the Pharmacy Act to add a definition of "unscheduled substance"; allow a person to sell an unscheduled substance from any retail outlet if certain conditions are met; require a person who sells a prescribed unscheduled substance by retail, or who supplies or distributes such a substance, to meet certain conditions when selling, supplying, or distributing the substance; establish regulation making authorities relating to the retail sale, supply, or distribution of prescribed unscheduled substances; allow a pharmacist to dispense a drug under the authority of an electronic prescription if certain conditions are met; change an outdated reference to a schedule of a federal regulation to make the reference current and accurate; and replace, in the English version, gender specific language with gender neutral language. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Bill 31 has received second reading and referred to standing committee. Second reading of bills. Minister responsible for Finance.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act be read for the second time.
This bill amends the Northern Employees Benefits Services Pension Plan Act to ensure continued effective regulation and oversight of the NEBF pension plan. This bill redefines the names the pension committee required under the act; changes the requirements for the composition of the pension committee; clarifies the ability of the pension committee to make rules, policies, and procedures addressing matters, including those prescribed by regulation; and allows the Commissioner and Executive Council to make regulations creating temporary exemptions from the act or temporary variations and provisions of the act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Thanks, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 41119(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022; and Committee Report 1619(2), Report on Housing Phase One: Needs for NWT Homeowners and Private Landlords. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Short recess
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm here to present Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No 1, 20212022.
The supplementary estimates document proposes a total increase of $106.7 million comprised of the following major areas:
$99.3 million for infrastructure expenditures spending for projects that were not completed in 20202021. This amount is fully offset by lapses and appropriations in 20202021.
$2.5 million to increase the community public infrastructure funding to support communities in reducing the municipal funding gap.
That concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair. I'd be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, on your right is Jamie Koe, assistant deputy minister for the Department of Finance, and on your left is Terrence Courtoreille, the director of the Management Board Secretariat.
The committee has agreed to forego general comments on each department. Does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document? Committee has agreed to begin the review of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Committee will begin on page 6.
Are there any questions or comments in regards to Education, Culture and Employment?
Okay. Supplementary Estimates, (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 20212022. Department of Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, junior kindergarten to grade 12 school services, not previously authorized, $2,566,000. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. So can someone tell me, is all of this carryovers, the I guess it's for some school work in Yellowknife and Inuvik. All of this is carried over from the previous year? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Sorry, Madam Chair, I'm just I'm on the wrong page but, yes, it is all indeed carryovers.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I raised this in previous a capital budgets. I had understood the Department of Finance was going to develop some kind of a tracking system for carryovers, because we've had growing and very significant carryovers over a period of time and that's another question I'll ask at some point, but. And the tracking system was supposed to kind of categorize the reasons for carryovers. Sometimes it's got to do with cash flow from another party or, you know, inability to get the money out the door or there's no contractors available to do the work, or weather, or whatever. Is that tracking system now in place and what are we learning from it? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, there's certainly is a lot of work that's underway looking at broadly how the government manages carryovers and responds and reports on carryovers. So I can't say that I necessarily have a complete answer at this point. But, there are a few things in the works and perhaps I'll just pause. I'll turn it over to Mr. Koe, please, just to give an update as to what some of the most recent thinking is that we're at on that. Just knowing that, again, that some of that would have to, of course, come through any final decisions would have to come through of course this Assembly, as well as all any other process of consensus government. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So we've been working with departments on kind of the timing of their projects. These are mostly our carryovers are due to multiyear projects so we've been working with departments on the timing of those projects and their budget allocations and we work with them through the 2122 capital estimates and we're working with them now on the 2223 on those cash flows, so that is some work we've been doing with them recently.
We are developing a process right now to develop more standard substantiation sheets. I know members of the Financial Management Board and Members of the House would see substantiation sheets with those capital estimates. What we're doing is kind of going to roll that same process in to the carryover process. So when we do have carryovers, there will be a substantiation sheet that we can provide as a package to everybody, which kind of has the details for why that project is delayed and needs to be carried over, the new timing of the project, and some level of detail. And within that, we can classify those to see some look at some of the trends. Thank you, Madam Chair.
