Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, if the Member's asking us to share what we have in terms of I believe this is still in the planning stage, you know. So we are looking at that as an option. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for are there any further questions under energy and strategic initiatives? Seeing none, Members, please turn to page 265.
Infrastructure, energy and strategic initiatives, operations expenditure summary, 20232024 Main Estimates, $16,886,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Minister, did you need to switch our witnesses again?
Okay, sergeantatarms, please switch the witnesses.
Minister, please introduce your witness.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Connie is still to me right but to my left I have assistant deputy minister Tracy St. Denis. And she's ADM for programs and services. Thank you.
Thank you. Programs and services, beginning on page 271 with information items on page 272. Questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, can the Minister or department please tell us why Marine Transportation Services has disappeared here from this part of the budget? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to have Ms. Lee speak to the explanation on the budget.
Thank you. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So Marine Transportation is actually a revolving fund so there is a subsequent information item for them. We do have to include this line item here under our 20212022 actuals because per the Revolving Fund Act, any kind of accounting deficits that is being shown by revolving fund does need to be absorbed by the administering department. So this is the line item that just shows that funding towards that revolving fund. It doesn't actually get budgeted within the programs and services activity. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So then is it fair to say that when we come to the if I'm here that we've come to the next year's mains estimates, we would see another number show up in the actuals for 20222023? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The answer is yes, but I'd want to give Connie an opportunity to explain that really quick. Thank you.
Thank you. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, yes, that is correct. Assuming that there is an accounting deficit that's being that is going to be incurred by the Marine Transportation Services revolving fund, you will see another actuals there. In any year where there is not one, you will not see a line item there. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
I think we could all safely assume there's going to be a deficit for this revolving fund next year so I'll so then my and I don't want to go down too far down the accounting rabbit hole, but why then do we not sort of try to anticipate what this number would be and include it in the forecasting? Why is it only added in retroactively, if I've got it right. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to ask Connie to speak or Ms. Lee to speak a little bit more to it. Thanks.
Thank you. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So, yes, while the Member is correct in stating that we may want to anticipate such a cost, that is not how the Revolving Fund Act works and has stated that situation. So we do not budget for it, and we do not ask for appropriations for that until the fact is complete. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I will leave it at that. So if dictated by the Act, good enough for me.
My next question is could the Minister or department speak about the fluctuation or change there in the amount around the technology service centre? I note that it's about a I can't do math today $600,000 change order change. So, on page 271, so if the Minister or department could just tell us what that's about? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the technical Technology Service Centre, there's the variance there. So the budget was underestimated for the assets that were pushed into service, and then the increase is more about the amortization for any of these GNWT assets. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'd like to congratulate the Minister and her department on reopening up the driver's vehicle centres for walkins. Ya, thank you. When I saw that, I was quite happy as last year I realized I had an expired driver's license for two days that I didn't realize because I couldn't walk in on the Friday. So can or the Saturday or the Sunday. Probably not the Monday either. I think I had to come back on Tuesday at that point.
So, can the Minister speak just a little bit around compliance and licensing. I do understand that we have moved towards a more secure driver's license over the last few years. Is there a way that we're going to be able to sort of and I know there's been streamlining being done. So maybe I'll just ask for an update on all of that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to ask Ms. St. Denis to speak to a little bit more about that. Thanks.
Thank you. Ms. St. Denis.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member is correct about the security value that we actually have in our driver's license. We actually were the second jurisdiction in Canada to get that heightened level of license. As far as implementation, it's fully in effect across the territory. So continuing to look to continue to have that driver's license in place. No plans to make any amendments at this time. It seems to be working well. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Sorry, I yeah, I have questions. Sorry, I just wasn't looking at that. And, yeah, sorry, my apologies. My next question is around the inspection services. So I note that that's a pretty stagnant item for the last couple years or last year unpredicted. Is there where the boiler inspections lie? Thank you.
I'm not sure. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I hope you're not sure. Just kidding. Yes, that is where this area lies. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So it's come to my attention I'm going to be very specific here on an issue that, you know, this at times that people are paying their boiler fee, their registration fee, and yet they're not really getting inspected and then, you know, for the first time they've been inspected in a few years but, really, there's no there's not really any need for that. And given that the sense that they already have to have their servicing done every year, it does really come across to my constituents as a cash grab almost, especially the years where they don't show up to even look at the boiler. So my question is there an opportunity to change this type of inspection to where rather than having people come out and take a look or not even and then charge people, have them submitting their service records instead so that every year they get their boiler serviced they submit that record to the GNWT instead of having someone come out and try to coordinate all these visits and people feeling that they're not really getting any value for this registration slash inspection for their boiler? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this is this is something that we'd have to look at to see if it fits within the program. I really respect the Member's, you know, bringing forward some of these ideas and that is something we can look at as well. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. And, yeah, I have been going about that one through the red tape working group but maybe I'll just come directly to this Minister and update her on what my specific instance is.
I'm just looking at enterprise information management. It's up about $400,000. And my understanding, is that a software program that's used by the department? Maybe I could get a bit more information as to why we've seen a bit of a jump there. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to ask Ms. St. Denis to speak to the line item. Thank you.
Ms. St. Denis.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The term "enterprise information management" is actually the unit that does DIIMS, which is the storage of data and also the warehousing of data by the GNWT. So the particular item that she's talking about was some unbudgeted contracts that were required for processing of those documents around Fort Simpson related to damage to the flood. So it was an unexpected item. And then we did see an increase of some funding around software licenses related to maintenance on records management. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, I appreciate that. I got time for one more probably here. Just curious around air marine and safety. How maybe I don't know if I can ask this here but no, I probably can't. So answer my own question; I was going to ask about the airport upgrade. That's somewhere else.
Fuel services, can the Minister speak to whether or not we're going to see a potential supplementary coming later? Is this $1.8 million stable given the sort of fluctuation and cost of living and supply chain issues that we're seeing currently. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
