Thank you, Madam Chair. My computer just locked up so I'll try and give this a shot. It won't do anything for me.
The Arctic Energy Alliance, you know, we did have we're in the process of training some of the staff. There is a federal requirement in terms of, you know, what sort of training is required. But we have two that are in the process of getting trained to be able to keep up to the amount of work requests that we're seeking. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, once the Minister's able to get her computer unlocked, I'd be happy to get more information on that. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Did you have any further questions for the Minister?
We'll get that commitment from the Minister of Infrastructure to get back to us with that information. Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Madam Chair, I think I saw the Minister shaking her head vigorously yes, so happy to take that commitment. And that's all I got on this item. Thanks.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I've got a rather specific question about the Active Carbon Sequestration and Forestry Fund.
My understanding is this was initially a 2019 election promise by the prime minister to plant two billion trees, that's where it started I believe, and then we, for a number of years, couldn't spend it because there's a long standing kind of policy in ENR that we don't actually do tree planting and reforestation. It's a we wait for the forest to naturally regrow itself. But now it appears we are spending that money and replanting some trees. So if someone could just tell me the total amount we're spending on tree planting and what how that kind of changed or where we're planting trees, anything about this, really. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance, do you have
I just might, Madam Chair. Thank you.
So 20212022, I have nothing in front of me indicates a firm policy against planting of trees. And 20212022 ENR, in fact, exceeded their budget by $28,000 and change and are planning to continue to do this, to plant trees and to participate in this program.
This is mostly summer field work, which is why there were some delays in terms of the timing of the funds flowing out. But again, as I've indicated, it's certainly my understanding that they will be able to make use of the dollars by doing so in a way that, you know, accounts for the northern climate and for the kinds of environment that we have here. So that may, you know I hope that provides the Member enough assurance that we'll be participating in that fund. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I'm going to ask a couple more questions, I guess. I'm wondering out of the total amount on tree planting we're spending and if the Minister has any idea or knows in front of her where we're planting trees. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So for 20222023, anticipated total spend is $291,000. The total amount under the Active Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund, ultimately, Madam Chair, is projected to be $1.333 million.
As for where they will go, they will be planted in the Northwest Territories, Madam Chair. I don't have that information. But I'll endeavour to get it for us. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister.
Infrastructure, programs and services, not previously authorized, $8,065,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Infrastructure, regional operations, not previously authorized, negative $1,097,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Infrastructure, total department, operation expenditures, not previously authorized, $6,968,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, please turn to page 13 of the tabled document, Department of Justice.
Justice, community justice and policing, not previously authorized, $750,000. Does committee agree? Member for Frame Lake.
Yes, thanks, Madam Chair. As I understand it, this is federal money, and I know I've spoken to the issue of victim services before. And the Minister of Justice in the last government actually undertook a review of victim services at my request and had found that, you know, we could be providing better support to the coordinators and the NGOs that actually do much of this very important work.
So this $750,000 kind of windfall from the federal government, is there a breakdown of how that money is going to be spent? And I guess what I want to make sure is that some of that funding is going to go to support the important work of the coordinators. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, for 20222023, it's not a windfall. It's funding that does come in from the federal governments under anticipated programming to a certain degree. So for 20222023, we have just shy of $200,000 in salary and benefits. But $492,000 does go out for contributions and grants, and a small proportion for occupations and maintenance.
Now as for, you know, the individual breakdown of how that happens organization by organization, Madam Chair, I am conscious that there is an additional outstanding obligation that was agreed to, to look at how we were doing those contribution agreements. So I don't have the update on that yet, but I am certainly alive to the fact that that commitment was previously made in our budget discussions, and I'm still committed to it. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Yes, thanks, Madam Chair. And okay, yes, I understand we are going to get some further information about that. Yes, part of my reason for asking that too is that we don't have a complete network of victim services coordinators across all of the regions, let alone the communities themselves. So I think we do need to do some more work towards better supporting victims of violence and the coordinators that try to connect them with services and support as well. So I'll be curious to see whether any of this funding is going to be used to move towards a more complete network. But I look forward to getting that information. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister, did you have any to follow?
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, only to note some of this funding does specifically support a victim services coordinator position, which can help hopefully answer some of that concern of ensuring that there are services being provided to those communities that don't necessarily have staffing.
I can note that there is an extension now of victim services programming into Fort McPherson and Fort Providence that previously did not have staff. So incrementally there is at least some increase in the availability of staff to communities outside of regional centres. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The windfall of $750,000 should be going to the actual victims of serious crimes. You know, there's a very serious crime that happened in the community of Fort Smith and, you know, some of these funds should be allocated to people that the whole community was affected by this crime. And, you know, they on the website, it has cleanup, you know, securing the doors and some of these things. But you know, we always make sure that the person who committed the crime has legal services all the way through, but the people that are victims of the crime, the complete family of a violent crime, is not covered. And it's at the discretion of the Justice department.
So I'm just wondering if you could just, please, Madam Chair, if the Minister could explain that part of it. You know, it's all right to ensure that we look after the administration parts but I'm more concerned about the people that are affected, especially the victims, whether it be it could be other crimes, but there's got to be a better way of actually looking after the victims and not so much concentrated on because we all have those we have all those other things in place already with victim services. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there is the Northwest Territories Victim of Crime Emergency Fund. I would certainly, you know, acknowledge that there's not really going to be any amount that remotely compensates someone who's been a victim of a serious crime. This is one of the ones, though, that does try to help out in terms of some emergency or immediate planning that might happen. And I think the Member mentions, you know, fixing of a door, for instance, or replacing of a lock. So, you know, really small things in the scale of what can occur to someone who's been impacted by a violent event. And some of the funding within this does go into that fund to support those activities. It's a fund to which individuals can apply. I am grateful for this opportunity. I think some of those people don't know that that funding is available when they need it. So this is certainly an opportunity to highlight that.
I mean, more generally, Madam Chair, there's, you know, a host of things that the Department of Justice no doubt provides in terms of availability of legal counsel and Legal Aid and that the community organizations then turn around and provide as well in terms of legal services, advice, supports. You know, assistance in attending in court for instance. Public Prosecution services as well, federal government has as well witness coordinators who can also provide supports and assistance.
So it is a challenging area in terms of understanding and making available all the many and different supports that would be needed. I don't have sort of dollar by dollar because, again, some of that won't be GNWTprovided services.
I certainly could undertake, and I don't know that Minister Simpson or I have the number here, but the total amount that's in the Victim Emergency Fund. If that's of interest to the Member, I'll certainly commit to provide the exact dollar. I mean, it would have been in the main estimates, and we can now update as to the total amount that's available following the supplementary appropriation. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Madam Chair, during that time that this of the serious incident in March, the whole community was in lockdown. It was a very, very serious situation. And, you know, and there's a lot of disappointment with some of the things that happened with regards to seeing we always seem to protect the person who potentially committed the crime but we always and we kind of make sure that everything is right for that person, but we always forget about what's right for the victims.
And I think that that family was victimized and they will never ever get over it. It's a life changing situation for them. It's a life changing situation for the community. People are very, very sad about what happened there. And when you have funds available like this, we should be making sure that the victims of crime are looked after first and not administration. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Did you have any further questions for the Minister?
I don't have any questions.
Justice, community justice and policing, not previously authorized, $750,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee.
Justice, total department, operations expenditures, not previously authorized, $750,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, please turn to page 14 of the tabled document. Department of Lands.
Lands, corporate management, not previously authorized, negative $48,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Lands, planning and coordination, not previously authorized, negative $70,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Lands, total department, operations expenditures not previously authorized, negative $118,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, please turn to page 15 of the tabled document. Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Municipal and Community Affairs, community governance, not previously authorized, negative $10,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you.
Municipal and Community Affairs, directorate, not previously authorized, negative $2,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Municipal and Community Affairs, public safety, $14,762,000. Does committee agree? Member for Hay River South.
