Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Notices of motion. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, I will move the following motion:
Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Kam Lake, that Ms. Renee Caron be appointed as the Equal Pay Commissioner in accordance with the Public Service Act by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories as recommended by the Legislative Assembly;
And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of the appointment to the Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, I will present to the House Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to consider Interim Estimates Operations Expenditures April 1st to June 30th, 2024.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will proceed with the first item. Open the House
At this time, we'll take a short break, 15minute break, and we'll come back. Thank you.
SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 1320(1), Interim Estimates Operating Expenditures April 1st to June 30, 2024. Minister, please proceed with your opening remarks.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm happy to be presenting this afternoon Tabled Document 1320(1): Interim Estimates, (Operations Expenditures) , April 1st to June 30th, 2024, for the Government of the Northwest Territories. The interim estimates will allow public services to continue to be provided until the main estimates for the fiscal year have been fully debated and approved by the Legislative Assembly.
The estimates propose a total appropriation of $782 million for operations between April 1st and June 30th, 2024, and $1.3 billion in borrowing for the GNWT for the 20242025 fiscal year.
The last few years have been difficult for Northerners. Flooding, drought, wildfire events, and the global COVID pandemic have negatively impacted the government's financial capacity. In response to these challenges, the GNWT has updated its Fiscal Responsibility Policy to strengthen transparency and accountability, especially by linking the policy to the federallyimposed borrowing limit by requiring a $120 million cushion below the borrowing limit. In addition to this, our government renewal initiative continues to build a culture within the public service to maximize efficiency and value for money and aims to ensure that the GNWT does the right things at the right time in the right way.
The recently announced Fiscal Strategy of the 20th Legislative Assembly outlines the realities of the territory's fiscal situation and sets significant targets to help support the territory's economic recovery through the life of the 20th Legislative Assembly. The strategy represents our commitment to the territory's financial health and stability, not just for us but for future generations. These interim estimates will allow departments to integrate the priorities established by this Legislative Assembly into their 20242025 business plans and main estimates, which I will be bringing forward during the next sitting of the Legislative Assembly.
This concludes opening remarks. I would be happy to answer questions Members may have.
Thank you, Minister. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring a witness into the House?
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witness into the Chamber.
Thank you. Would the Minister please introduce the witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left, Bill MacKay is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. And on my right, Terence Courtoreille is the deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board.
Thank you. I will now open the floor for general comments on the Minister's statement. Do any Members have any general comments before we begin? Thank you. Go to Mr. Kieron Testart, Member of Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm pleased to support the interim estimates. I see them as noncontroversial and essential to keeping the lights on for the public service until we get into the actual budgeting process in May and June. They'll be other matters, financial matters, that the House will discuss that I'll have more to say. But at this time I'm content to support these and will reserve comments. Thank you.
Thank you. Any further general comments from any Member? Thank you. Thank you, Member. Seeing there's no further general comments, we will review the interim estimates by department. Please turn to page 2. Does the committee agree to forego general comments on each department? Committee? Thank you.
Agreed.
We will begin with the Legislative Assembly. Are there any questions from committee? Okay, I don't see any hands going up. I'll move on. Summary of interim estimates, item 1 Legislative Assembly appropriation authority required, $5,820,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will continue with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Are there any questions? I will go over to Shauna Morgan, Member of Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my question is around funding for early learning and child care. I know that the department is still trying to work out a new funding mechanism for early childhood partners and that will require some upfront payments to child care providers by the end of the first quarter. And so given that my understanding is that this is still not settled yet, the new funding mechanism is in flux, can the government give us any reassurance of how they know that the estimates here will be enough to make sure that we can keep our child care providers operating and afloat given that the new funding mechanism is still to be decided?
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister Caroline Wawzonek to the question. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, being an interim budget does mean that the departments are getting sort of roughly 20 to 25 percent of their usual or of their expected amount based on last year's budget, but it's not including any potential changes that may come. Any potential changes that may come as a result of the priorities setting or other initiatives that that would be part of the budget that's going forward in May and June, but there certainly is you know, this will give them the opportunity to at least begin their work as of April 1st. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go back to the Member of Yellowknife North.
So the government can confirm that the estimates here are based on the previous funding arrangements with child care providers and not on any estimates of a new funding mechanism?
Thank you. Moving to the Finance Minister.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is based at this moment on the agreement as it stands with Canada. I can't speak to what discussions or whether discussions are ongoing with education, culture and employment but just that at this point this is based on the agreement as it is. Thank you.
Going back to Member of Yellowknife North.
Okay. That's all the questions I have at this moment for around Education, Culture and Employment. I assume they'll be an opportunity to return when we get to other departments if okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Any further questions from Members? Don't see any hands. Okay, so summary of interim estimates, item 2, Education, Culture and Employment, appropriation authority required $127,721,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Your committee will continue with the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Is there any questions? Yes, I'm going to go to the Member of Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was wondering if, similar to my colleague from Yellowknife North's question around ECE, if the dollars for wildlife and forest management are based on previous contracts for fire suppression, aviation contracts, that sort of thing, from the previous year or if there are increases? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Finance Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, contract dollars are so there's the department amount that's coming in as a percentage of the annual budget from 20232024 but the remaining but their contract amounts are coming in at full value which is going to allow departments to enter into contracts that will last potentially for the full year assuming further approval by the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. I'm going to go back to the Member of Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I I'll rephrase what I guess I'm trying to seek which is I do understand that it is for contracts that are based for the full fiscal year, but I'm curious as to whether that contract amount has increased from the previous fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll go to the Finance Minister.
Sorry, Mr. Chair, I'm having some trouble hearing. I think it is actually maybe I think Mr. Courtoreille heard it so let me pass it over to him, please.
Thank you. I'll go back to the Member of Great Slave oh, Mr. Courtoreille.
MR. TERENCE COURTOREILLE:
Going back to the Member of Great Slave.
Certainly. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So just for clarification, I wanted to say thank you to the Minister, I understand that contract dollars are being represented in these interim estimates as for a full year, which is fine and dandy. I'm just curious if that contract amount for fire suppression, such as aviation contracts, has increased for this year compared to the last? Thank you.
Go to Mr. Courtoreille.
