Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, every year we try and target about the same amount. So last year we did 150, and we're planning to do another 150. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay. Yeah, that's kind of not what my notes show but we're doing the same number, that's great. If we're not, I guess I'd like to understand why. Maybe I'll just ask if the Minister could double check. Thanks.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, you know, I answered very quick. I do want to just clarify that we did about 200 before but because of inflation, we've had to reduce the number of chip seal we're doing. So now it's about 150. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. That's what I'm kind of concerned about, is the you know, okay, over the last three or four years, my wife and I we've driven a lot of the highways in the Northwest Territories. The Liard Highway, terrible condition. Terrible condition. The road to Fort Simpson, there's this stretch after the pavement ends to maybe around where the campground is there at Sambaa Deh, terrible condition, unbelievable. We almost went off the road when we were going out there for a committee meeting a couple or three or four years ago. I don't know what to say, Madam Chair, but we can't even maintain the roads we got let alone build new ones anywhere. And when I see this I know, you know, maybe we can only afford to do a bit more but we can't even maintain the roads that we got. So how are we going to, you know, make sure our residents are safe, try to attract tourists, when our roads are in really bad condition? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, every year, as I mentioned, we do a little bit of work on the highway to do on each of our highways. And, you know, the Member mentioned that Highway No. 7 was bad, the Liard Highway. This year we're looking at the rehabilitation work, the embankment widening. So I mean, this is something that we are doing. We're hoping to have that done August of 2023. That's just one specific highway, Madam Chair. And I'm not going to use the Member's time because I'm sure he's got lots of other great questions as well. So that's one example. But we are doing work on the other highways as well. Thanks.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, no, thanks. I think there's also something around the cycle that we use for road and culvert inspection or replacement. There was some changes there. Could the Minister speak to that as well? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'll ask Mr. Moore to speak to what's our plans in order to get some of these road work done.
Thank you. Mr. Moore.
Thank you, Madam Chair. All our bridges and structures, including major culverts, are inspected on a threeyear cycle throughout the territory. All our linear infrastructure, so all our roads and side roads, are inspected on a regular basis, utilizing a number of aspects, including private sector. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, I guess I I don't know what else to say other than I've lived here 35 years 37, maybe 38 years now, and I will say I think the condition of some of our highways is deteriorating. And if we can't maintain the roads that we have, I'm just really worried about putting more money into roads, period but that's more of a philosophical discussion. So I really want to get this asset management stuff in place so that the public can see what our cycles are, how we stack up, you know, one highway against another. But I think it also gives us a way to benchmark ourselves against other jurisdictions, which is a really important thing for us to do. If we want to make sure we have safe highways for our residents and, you know, attract tourists, we just got to do a better job. Thanks, Madam Chair. I don't think I have anything else.
Thank you. I didn't hear any questions there so just take that as a comment. Are there any further questions under asset management? Seeing none, Members, please turn to page 258.
Infrastructure, asset management, operations expenditure summary, 20232024 Main Estimates, $18,146,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now turn to corporate management, beginning on page 262 with information items on page 263. Questions.
Seeing no questions, please turn to page 262 oh, Member for Frame Lake.
Sergeantatarms, please switch the witnesses. Thank you. Minister, will you please introduce your witness for the record.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, to my left I have my deputy minister Steve Loutitt.
Thank you. Welcome, Mr. Loutitt. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I would I think this is probably as good a place as any to ask, but where are we at with the government renewal initiative for this department? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we've completed phase one. The overall plan is led by Department of Finance.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. So for those that are listening, what's phase one? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'll ask Ms. Lee to provide a little bit more of the information. Thank you.
Thank you. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So phase one is having our interviews and our inventory of programs being completed and documented. So we have had that work done with the GRI staff with the Department of Finance, and we have completed that as scheduled. And I believe that there is a schedule online that presents our status. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Okay, thanks. So this was kind of a new department that was created in the last Assembly by jamming together public works and Department of Transportation public works and government services and Department of Transportation. Has there ever been kind of like any kind of review done of that merger and kind of where we've ended up and how we could look at maybe reorganizing parts of the department, making it more efficient and effective? Part of my difficulty in going through this department is we get these big activities that are so vague and amorphous that I don't even know where I'm supposed to ask questions. So anyways, has that kind of, you know, review been done of what, you know, lessons learned from jamming together these two departments, and where we're going? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, that's correct. I mean, the previous governments have amalgamated public works and Department of Transportation. So we as a department are looking at the reorg review. And if I can ask my deputy minister to speak a little bit more about this, the review. Thanks.
Thank you. Deputy minister Loutitt.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Minister's correct. We're in the process of redoing or reviewing and doing a reorg review of all of our services, and we're looking at how projects flow through the department from a value stream analysis standpoint so that we're not double tracking, and we're also making sure that we're the processes are clear and concise. And as the Member noted, very clear there for people to understand where they are. So if a project comes in as a no show plan and how it comes out from final project through the licensing and permitting through the design and technical portion and then for the execution of the project. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, okay, that sounds quite interesting. And if I can get the Minister to tell us when that work is going to be finished and whether a draft with a report could be shared with standing committee? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to ask the deputy minister to speak about a little more on the timelines to be able to see where we're at with this. Thanks.
Thank you. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The process right now, we don't have a defined timeline; however, we have just recently allocated resources specifically to this process because it is something that this was actually conceptually supposed to take place one year or two after we amalgamated and looking at where we can gain those efficiencies. And doing so off the corner of people's desks wasn't feasible so we are opening resources on. We anticipate that within the next probably nine months we should have this process complete. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I can't probably ask whether that can be shared with the standing committee. But if there's some terms of reference or some kind of summary of what's taking place and a timeline, can the Minister commit to share that with standing committee? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, I don't see why not to share with the standing committee. We'll just have to be able to look and find more information on what exactly the Member would like us to share, a little more detail so we can definitely have that discussion and set some time up to be able to make time with committee. Thanks.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. So just I can't speak on behalf of committee, we haven't talked about this, but I think probably Regular Members would find it helpful to at least have the terms of reference or a statement of work or some summary of what's going done along with the timeline so, you know, we understand what's underway now. And if that's, you know, some kind of information in a letter I don't want to ask for a briefing but some more detailed information about what's being done, if that could be shared, that would be great. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Okay. Thank you. Minister.
