Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Finance, total department, operation expenditures, not previously authorized, $7,655,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, please turn to page 10 of the tabled document. Department of Health and Social Services.
Health and Social Services, administrative and support services, not previously authorized, $2,684,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Health and Social Services, COVID secretariat, not previously authorized, $11,707,000. Does committee agree?
Or sorry, negative $11,707,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Health and Social Services, health and social programs, $15,504,000. Does committee agree or sorry, not previously authorized, $15,504,000. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So I think we should maybe talk about this. It's $15 million new dollars to the health authority and, you know, $10 million of that is coming from what was previously budgeted for the COVID secretariat. So I think we are in the final days of winding down the COVID secretariat. I guess I was just hoping the Minister could perhaps give us an update a few months ago when we approved the total COVID secretariat budget. There was some talk of keeping some staff on going forward as we switch to endemic status. There was some talk about perhaps keeping 811, just a bit of an update about what is going on with the COVID secretariat. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I wish there would have been the ability to give more of an update back when we were doing the main estimates as well. I think we all did. But it was really a time of significant transition and flux with COVID19 at that time so it was difficult to pin down exactly the timing or the amounts. So this is before us now.
With respect to more generally what's happening, there are efforts here to reflect a transition. That transition is not only out of COVID but into hopefully better system capacity given the impacts of COVID over the last two years and given, likely, to be some ongoing impacts.
There are still, you know, indicators that there's consistently higher demands on public care services, higher demands on beds daytoday, and that those that are there are there for particular periods of time. So they're able to track those things. So some of this reflects that.
There are still questions being called in and asked and the need to deliver ongoing vaccine services and anticipated, as vaccines become available for youth, that that will continue, as boosters are required that that will continue. And again that, you know, there's a view to what can be done to transition successfully into, again, better services longer term, you know, utilizing the phone capacity, utilizing the public health services that we have now for testing for vaccinations.
So again, it sort of reflects truly a transition from just what was focused almost solely or exclusively on COVID19 to being focused on providing care in the context of longterm realities of COVID19. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, and I'll just point that, you know, this $15 million here going, $10 million of it was from COVID secretariat, so clearly the department did a bit of an assessment of what is needed to increase that capacity for the endemic going forward and needed an extra $5 million. But we also know the Department of Health and Social Services, even with its budget, runs a deficit consistently.
I'm just trying to understand if there is still a gap, we think, of increased COVID costs on the healthcare system going forward or whether we think you know, I know we're not going to make up the deficit but whether we think this $15 million is adequately responding to what we need to do to make sure our healthcare system's properly funded in the year to come. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, at this point, there's certainly the, you know, expectation based on what was being done and what was being tracked over the last few months, the last few months of where COVID was at. You know, this is expected to get us through that transition. I'm hesitating because of course I don't think anyone really knows what may or may not happen, say, this fall. You know, there's certainly a hope that with the vaccination rates that we have, with the availability of vaccinations for youth, for boosters, etcetera, that we won't be back in any kind of significant situation and that this transition will provide a transition that carries us through into a longer term state.
And the comments with respect to the challenges that are in health and social services more generally, you know, again, I would point to the fact that there is inclusion here of, you know, increased capacity in community healthcare, community LPNs, primary care, public health, you know, recognizing the impacts of COVID19 and what that did and allows now for while this is transition related, it actually may well have longer term benefits that have to go through the business planning cycle that is but, you know, when you start to move forward, you can go into the business planning cycle at least with a sense of what these impacts might be and what the hiring might be. And so, you know, it may well be that this is a transition that leads to longer term change, but that certainly remains to be seen. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Health and Social Services, health and social programs, not previously authorized, $15,504,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, Health and Social Services, total department, operation expenditures, not previously authorized, $6,481,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, please turn to page 11 of the tabled document. Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Industry, Tourism and Investment, corporate management, not previously authorized, negative $201,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Industry, Tourism and Investment, economic diversification and business support, not previously authorized, $609,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Industry, Tourism and Investment, tourism and in parks, not previously authorized, $600,000. Does committee agree? Oh, Member for Great Slave.
Sorry, Madam Chair. You're just so efficient; I missed my spot to stick my hand up.
I'm just curious to know under the Tourism Restart Program, maybe the Minister can just provide a little bit of detail on is that money going to end up in the hand of tourist businesses, or will some of that be used for corporate or administrative costs? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this is intended to go out to the operators. It's an extension of funding that is coming through the federal government in this case. Areas that we're targeting here is marketing and promotions, the operations again of tourism operators themselves, their capacity development, so training. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm really glad to hear that. I know the tourism operators probably are as well.
I'm curious to know that if we, and I would assume we will reach the $600,000, is there an opportunity for us to have more money come here, or will we see another supplement coming? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is, right now, a onetime programming. It is we're part of I missed the name earlier, Tourism Relief Fund, which came out from the federal government and is extended through to the end of next year. I do hope that it's fully subscribed. That is certainly the point.
Whether we'll need anything further, you know, I can't say. Again, hoping we don't continue to need any sorts of relief or recovery.
The next stage of tourism funding would probably be looking over to the Tourism 2025, which is part of ITI's Main Estimates. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Industry, Tourism and Investment, tourism and parks, $600,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Industry, Tourism and Investment, total department, operation expenditures, not previously authorized, $1,008,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, please turn to page 12 of the tabled document. Department of Infrastructure.
Infrastructure, programs and services, not previously authorized, $8,065,000. Does committee agree? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I've seen a lot of money kind of moved around, shuffled around within this Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund agreement. And it looks like we're not able, quite frankly, to get money out the door. Maybe the criteria for accessing this money don't allow for folks to access it; I just don't really understand what the problems are. Can I get an explanation here. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there were a number of reasons well, there's a number of different funds operated, as the Member has indicated, and the different funds, there was different reasons why they may not have gone all out initially. But it is my understanding now that with COVID19 behind us and various challenges associated to that that there should be some money going out.
There's initiatives, including Arctic Energy Alliance programs, GHG grant programs. There was some low uptake under the industry buildings GHG grant program but, again, my understanding is that some of that was capacity that has now been resolved. And as well building retrofits and carbon sequestration which was led by ENR are all now, is my understanding, anticipating that they will be able to utilize these dollars in full. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Can someone tell me, then, this commercial and industrial Greenhouse Gas Grant Fund, what is all about and who can actually access it? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Madam Chair, I believe that the industry and buildings GHG grant fund or grant program, and that, Madam Chair, would be an applicationbased grant program to support energy efficiency, renewable energy, and fuel substitution in industry and commercial buildings. So, Madam Chair, that is and by applicationbased. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. The money for the Arctic Energy Alliance programs and services, it just kind of fluctuates up and down. And I know I've raised the issue of at least one federal program that requires an energy audit by certified auditors, and there's only one or two of them or something here in the Northwest Territories. How do we increase the access to some of these programs that Arctic Energy Alliance is running? And has there been any progress made on a requirement of an audit before you do something and then again afterwards. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think, you know, with respect to the administration of the program, that is probably a question best left to the department. I can certainly direct it to my colleague, or I can certainly undertake to ensure that, now that we are seeking to move this money forward, that the departments that are involved, both Infrastructure and ENR, are doing so mindful of the fact that we want to get the money out the door. So taking the comments around the availability of assessors into account when we do that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yes, I would actually like to hear from the Minister of Infrastructure about that if that's at all possible. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.
