Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if that road or a portion of that road opens in this Assembly, will the Minister commit to taking me for the opening? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely. I mean, this is a big advancement and we're hoping to also proceed on to some of the other projects up the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 20212022; Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 20212022; and the Northwest Territories Tourism 20222023 Marketing Plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table an article from The Daily dated February 16th, 2022 entitled "Black and Indigenous people's confidence in the police and experiences of discrimination in their daily lives". Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Motions. 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, Bill 29, Bill 38; Member's Statement 20219(2); Tabled Document 56119(2); Tabled Document 56719(2).
Colleagues, by the authority given to me as Speaker by Motion 119(2), I hereby authorize to sit beyond the daily hours of adjournment to consider the business before the House, with Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes in the chair.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 56119(2): Main Estimates 20222023, with Infrastructure and Education, Culture and Employment. Mahsi, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess.
SHORT RECESS
I'll now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 56119(2): Main Estimates 20222023, and we are doing the Department of Infrastructure. Does the Minister of Infrastructure have any opening remarks?
Yes, I do, and someone took them off my desk so I'll just find my set here.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm here to present the 20 that's not off to a good start, I apologize. We're here until 8.
I'm here today to present the 20222023 Main Estimates for the Department of Infrastructure. Overall, the department's estimates propose a consistent budget of the 20212022 Main Estimates of $278.8 million. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Infrastructure while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.
Highlights of these proposed estimates include:
Forced growth increase of $2.3 million. This includes $1.1 million in leases, $370,000 in community airport contracts, $478,000 in winter salt, and two new positions: $163,000 for occupational health and safety in South Slave region, and $135,000 for the new highway transportation officer for North Slave, including the new Tlicho Highway.
Also included are sunsets of $7.9 million. This amount consists of a $7.6 million cash flow adjustment for the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, $175,000 of lease associated with the Stanton physiotherapy space, and $165,000 for the department climate change specialist position that is related to the 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework.
Other adjustments include a net increase of $6.5 million, which includes a $4.7 million adjustment to the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, when netted against the related sunset, which is a $2.9 million dollar decrease in 20222023 to adjust funds into later years. It also includes a $1.8 million for collective agreement increases, and a reduction of funding for travel of $304,000.
These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Assembly and support the vision of the Budget 2020 by investing in and modernizing strategic and NWT airport infrastructure, which connects our communities, promoting energy efficiency and sustainability, all while continuing to prioritize and responsible spending.
The department will work towards our goals outlined in the 2030 Energy Strategy and will again provide $2.74 million in core funding to the Arctic Energy Alliance.
The NWTwide energy programs, include those that are delivered by Arctic Energy continue to be supplemented through the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, which was extended for an additional two years, to March of 2024.
The Yellowknife Airport Revolving Fund has withstood recent challenges and continues to support the development of a 20year master plan to guide short, medium, and longterm planning in support of economic growth and sustainability.
The department will also maintain its annual investment of $1.5 million of financial contributions to communities through the community access program. This helps support improvements to local transportation infrastructure such as access and winter roads, marine facilities, trails, while providing communities with direct employment, skill development opportunities, and economic and capacitybuilding benefits.
That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. And we will be going in the order as it is in the main estimates. So do you wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. SergeantatArms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Minister, will you please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today, I have Mr. Steve Loutitt, deputy minister of Infrastructure closest to me. And Mr. Gary Brennan, the ADM of regional operations. When we get to the energy and strategic initiatives activity, Madam Chair, if we can switch out Mr. Loutitt.
Just remind me when we get there if I forget, okay. Thank you.
Committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does committee agree to proceed to the detailed contained in the tabled document? Committee, we'll defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with the asset management starting on page 239 with information items on page 242. Questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm looking on page 240 under transportation, and during the 20202021 actuals, there was quite a significant increase to the cost associated with transportation. And then that number has now come down again for the main estimates for 20222023. I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to what caused that large jump in the actuals for last year. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. The travel had a variance. The surplus is due to less travelling that occurred as per our COVID19 restrictions, and the decrease is the reduction in the supplementary appropriation.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. My next question is in regards to utilities found on the same page. I notice that utilities is not seeing an increase in the 20222023 Main Estimates. And given the increase that we have seen in all costs, especially utility costs, I'm wondering why there's no increase to that line item for the 20222023 Main Estimates? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'll get Mr. Brennan to speak to the details.
Thank you. ADM Brennan.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, so there's no increase here. This utilities is for our mobile equipment. The utilities budget actually sits in regional operations under the main estimates. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm going to move on to the next page, to page 241, which has Deh Cho Bridge opportunities at $200,000. And it's described as a grant for the purpose of creating community benefits and economic opportunities related to the Deh Cho Bridge. And so I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to what that 200,000 affords the people of the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Deh Cho Bridge opportunities grant was a 35year annual grant that started in April 1st of 2013 under what was called the Community Operations and Involvement Agreement. So the agreement was signed in 2010, and Infrastructure has an agreement with the Fort Providence Deh Gah Bridge Limited for a payment of 200,000 annually. There is no funding criteria, rather a set payment. So the organization provides Infrastructure with annual financial and operation reports, and this funding is used by the organization for cultural wellbeing, education, training, economic development, and a small portion goes to admin.
Thank you, Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to ask questions under the infrastructure asset management? Seeing none, please turn to page 240, Infrastructure, asset management, operations expenditure summary, 20222023 Main Estimates, $16,593,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We'll now turn hello? We'll now turn to corporate management beginning on page 243, with information items on page 245. Questions from Members under this section?
Seeing none, please turn to page 244, Infrastructure, corporate management, operation expenditure summary, 20222023 Main Estimates, $7,989,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will move now to energy and strategic initiatives. SergeantatArms, please, can you switch out the witnesses.
All right. So energy and strategic initiatives beginning on page 246, with information items on page 250. Oh, Minister, did you want to introduce your witness.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'd like to introduce Robert Jenkins. He's ADM for energy and strategic initiatives.
Thank you, and welcome. Are there any questions from Members on the energy and strategic initiatives? Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this is an area with a lot of money going out to different organizations, which I think is great. I'm just looking at the sorry, I just wanted to ask some questions around the biomass energy and just where we're at in looking at diversifying our dependence on diesel, and could the Minister or the department speak a little bit more to perhaps if we would be seeing more money needed there, or there's not a change from last year to this year's? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister for Infrastructure.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Since 2006, the GNWT has installed more than 40 more biomass boiler systems in all regions in the Northwest Territories. Our biomass program consumed approximately 8600 tonnes of wood pellets at GNWT assets during the 20202021 fiscal year, which results in displacement of approximately 4.38 million litres of fuel oil, which is equivalent to offset about 11,750 tonnes of GHG emissions.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. My next question is around the Arctic Energy Alliance. We're not seeing any changes there for the amount of funding that's being provided. Is the alliance on track to spend all their money this year, will they be overprescribed or undersubscribed? I think this is a great program so, you know, if there's opportunities to put more money there to help our residents, that'd be great. Thank you.
