Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the debts that have been accumulated with our tenants within the Housing Corporation, we do have to work within the Financial Management Act as well too, on how we are going to work with those clients in trying to eliminate the debts that they do carry over. But this is a lengthy process, and we have been successful in working with clients throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Infrastructure. Every time the office of the DMV changes their hours, it makes news. First they allowed walkins. Then they only went by appointment. And just recently they added two more hours to allow walkins. I'm pretty excited that maybe the DMV will one day get back to regular appointments.
My question, though, is looking forward at the operations of the Yellowknife DMV, is the Minister of Infrastructure willing to have the office be open evenings or weekends, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And here we go again. So, you know, we did look at our operations and did extend it. I'm kind of hoping the Member would be a little bit more happier, but wanting more, that's okay.
We are not currently considering the adjustment of hours or days in operation at the Yellowknife motor vehicle issuing office due to the significant financial costs it would require. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
No further questions on that.
Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Oral Question 839-19(2):
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance and the Minister responsible for Human Resources.
Further to my statement today, I'm wondering if the Department of Finance has a clear policy of who can apply and cannot apply for education leave and supports from the GNWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, employees need to have three years of service in order to be eligible for education leave and then beyond that, the more specific conditions are within the collective agreement. So it is done at a departmental level, and anyone who is considering applying should be speaking directly to their supervisor just to confirm that they're eligible and to go through that process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering if there is an appeals process for those that are denied education leave by their direct supervisors. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's not an appeals process specific to this benefit for employees. Certainly, given that it is certainly part of the collective agreement, if an employee is concerned that it's not being abided by they are encouraged to go and speak to their union representative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes going to the union can cause a little bit more friction than people are looking for right off the bat. And so I'm hoping that together we can find an alternate solution for staff who want questions and further clarifications. But often the current process means that frontline staff receive far less opportunity for professional development from their colleagues that work in headquarters departments. This is required for nurses who want to gain the experience and the certifications required to work in small remote nursing stations and potentially return to their home communities.
So how does the Department of Finance ensure that outlying factors like nursing shortages in other units or nursing levels in remote health centres are considered within an allofgovernment approach to education supports? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly was listening when the Member spoke earlier and gave her Member's statement. I have had my own constituents come to me wanting to do more, wanting to improve their education level, and continue to contribute as public servants. So while it is departments that have to be the ones defining their own needs and defining where they expect to see growth within their own departments and divisions, certainly the Department of Finance can take a role in terms of coordinating what is needed across the government.
So I'll certainly commit to going back to the department and seeing what more we can do to make sure that we are actually doing that to the best of our possible ability.
It comes at a good time, Mr. Speaker. I'm just going to give an extremely brief plug.
The Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework is an opportunity for us to ensure that we are succession planning and succession planning in a way that is made for the North and in the North to ensure that we are having a representative work force. So I actually see some of these questions as dovetailing back into the work that's happening on that front. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.
Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that commitment from the Minister. I think there are multiple opportunities here for the government to look at this as a whole rather than silos of divisions within departments within the government so that, really, we can look at how we can work together to accomplish the priorities of not only the 19th Assembly but every Assembly afterwards as a unit. And so I'm wondering if part of that work will be not solely on the Indigenous recruitment framework but also just on GNWT policies as a whole looking at more of a departmentwide or even GNWTwide education leave and funding policy to support all hardtofill positions across the entire GNWT. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I certainly am sympathetic to what the Member is saying. I do run up against the fact that anything that's an entitlement specific or in this nature, a benefit, does come within the collective agreement. So always mindful of the role of the Department of Finance and myself as Minister to abide by the collective agreement, not never to be seen to be bargaining outside of the collective agreement process, but then wanting to ensure that we are applying access to those benefits equitably and consistently and with that wholeofgovernment approach. So I do see room for us to improve here, and I see room for this to be a tool within the toolbox of Human Resources that will help all employees. So where that's going to get to, Mr. Speaker, I am sure I will continue to get questions from the Member to see that I am achieving those goals. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question actually, I'm just going to have one question for the Minister of ITI, who is also responsible for the procurement review.
One of the recommendations was to review the schedule of grandfathered businesses in the BIP registered businesses. So my question for the Minister is will the Minister remove Walmart as a BIP business? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it was the Member from Yellowknife North who at one time told me we should be looking at the number of employees that a business has before we move too quickly on who to remove or who not to remove. But, Mr. Speaker, I am not in the habit, Mr. Speaker, of making commitments that singles out one particular business or one particular contract or one particular individual. This very much has been part of the review, very much will be part of where this goes next, is to define what is a northern business, who should be a northern business. That's a huge part of making sure that we are keeping the most benefits in all ways possible in the Northwest Territories. And I'll certainly commit to doing that as I have been throughout this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Conference of Management Authorities Species at Risk Annual Report 2020-2021; Northwest Territories Species at Risk Committee Annual Report 2020-2021; and, NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program 2020/21 Annual Report.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Nunakput.
tabled document 509-19(2):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table, on behalf of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment document entitled, An Economic Analysis of the GNWT's Approach to Mining Regime Fiscal Review.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Tabling of documents.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, December 2nd, 2021, I will move that Bill 41, Justice Administration Statutes Amendment Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Bill 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, Committee Report 17-19(2), Committee Report 18-19(2), Committee Report 19-19(2), Tabled Document 437-19(2), Tabled Document 438-19(2), Tabled Document 439-19(2), and Tabled Document 466-19(2).
I now call to order Committee of the Whole. What is the wish of committee? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 438-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022; Tabled Document 439-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022; Tabled Document 466-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 4, 2020-2021; Bill 31, an Act to Amend the Pharmacy Act; Bill 32, an Act to Amend the Northern Employees Benefit Services Pension Plan Act; Bill 33, National Indigenous People's Day Act; Committee Report 17-19(2) Report on the Review of Bill 23, an Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act.
Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will have a recess and start with the first item.
---SHORT RECESS
I call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 438-19(2) Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022. Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022. These Supplementary Estimates propose a total decrease of $109.8 million comprised of the following items:
Firstly, a decrease of $113.5 million to adjust infrastructure project cash flows to realign the appropriations with the anticipated project schedules. This amount is fully offset by appropriations in future cash flows;
Secondly, $2.8 million is required for surfaces overlay costs at the Fort Smith airport and $761,000 is required for airfield electrical replacement costs at the Fort Simpson airport. Both these projects are fully offset by revenues from the federal government; and,
Finally, $203,000 is required for the acquisition of three portables to support the renovation of the Colville Lake school.
That concludes my opening remarks. I would be happy to answer any questions that the Members may have.
Thank you, Minister. Does the Minister wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. On the right, Madam Chair, is Bill MacKay, deputy minister of Finance. And on the left, I have Terence Courtoreille, deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board.
Thank you, Minister. Welcome. I will now open the floor for general comments. Seeing no further general comments, we'll review the supplementary estimates by department.
The committee has agreed to forego general comment on each department. Does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee has agreed to begin with the review of the Department of Infrastructure. Committee, we will begin on page 6. Questions?
Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022. Department of Infrastructure, operations expenditures, energy and strategic initiatives, not previously authorized, $17,115,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
