Thank you, Mr. Chair. There's no increase anticipated in the contract value that's being proposed in the interim estimates, but I can confirm that the full value of the contract is being reflected here for consideration. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Going back to the Member of Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's okay.
Is there any other Members? Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just be brief. I think the if I understood the Member correctly, I think she was curious if it included the forced growth cost reflective of certain contracts, and I think that's ultimately the question that was being asked. And then I have a clearer a separate followup. Thank you.
Thank you. We'll go to the Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So no, Mr. Chair, at this point there's no increases to the contracts amounts. These are amounts that are based on 20232024. Any changes that would be potentially made, whether through forced growth initiatives or otherwise, would be reflected in the full main estimates which would be tabling in May/June.
Member of Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The further qualification to the overall thing is this is a 90day estimate or interim estimate, and maybe for the public's sense and on the record, that is and we'll just say by way of example, the Assembly doesn't support the contract or initiative called the Widget. I'm not going to pick on anyone in particular because we don't want anyone to get the wrong message here. So if the Assembly chose to support the Widget initiative that had currently being the 90day proposal but we decide to vote against it, delete it in the at the let's say the advancement of the mains in May/June, what would happen in that particular case just so the public understands that we're passing an interim but if there's further reflection on business moving forward. Thank you.
I'm going to go to the Finance Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, any I think this actually often does come up in asking why we can't do multiyear contracts or multiyear funding agreements. Every appropriation is a year over year appropriation for the government. So in other words, we get the ability to spend public dollars only based on one year at a time approved here by the Legislative Assembly. So when we come forward in May/June, if the Legislative Assembly decides not to approve something that in this interim period we had proceeded with based on past activities or past practice, then those contribution agreements usually include or have to include a line that says, you know, subject to the approval of the House. So it can at that time, you know, again, we now have the ability to enter these contracts but it's always subject to the approval of the House.
So if Members of the House were to decide that they wanted something removed, it is still it is still possible that that provision can be enacted to say that something wouldn't come forward. I, to be honest, though, I will also serve a bit of assurance to the public and to the partners that we have that does rarely happen. Generally, contracts and contribution agreements are with providers of services out in the public and it's not usually where I've seen that occur but, again, it certainly is it's at the will of this House, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member of Yellowknife Centre. No further questions? Any further Members that want to don't see anybody. Okay, I'm going to continue on. Summary of interim estimates, item 3, Environment and Climate Change, appropriation authority required, $57,282,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will continue with the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs. And are there any questions? Don't see any. I'll continue on.
Summary of interim estimates, item 4, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, appropriation authority required, $6,715,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we'll continue with the Department of Finance. Turning to page 3. Are there any questions? Don't see any hands up.
Summary of interim estimates, item 5, Finance, appropriation authority required, $97,645,000. Does the committee agree? Thank you.
Agreed.
Committee, we will continue with the Department of Health and Social Services. Any questions? Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I know that the purpose of this interim budget is to keep the lights on, keep core operations going. And in terms of health and social services, some of our essential services that we provide to our vulnerable populations, some of them we provide directly through the department of HSS, such as our day shelter here in town, and those operations will continue. And as we've seen it's much more expensive to run it inhouse so instead we often contract out some of these essential services to nonprofits and agencies.
So one example of this is the Yellowknife Women's Society currently runs the Spruce Bough transitional housing facility with harm reduction programs, and the women's society was recently informed that the current funding that they're receiving just for operations, to keep the lights on so to speak, was actual is actually ending March 31st. And I know that it was it's ending because it was obtained through a federal funding that was COVID related and that's coming to an end; however, this facility, which provides essential services to a vulnerable population, is in danger of not being able to keep the lights on as of March 31st. And so I'm wondering first if the Department of Finance, or others, have been able to find at least some interim funding past March 31st to help keep the lights on in this facility or if it would be possible to add a little bit of money into the interim estimates to, again, keep the lights on at the Spruce Bough? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for your question. I'll go to Minister Wawzonek.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, that I mean I have, you know, good news and bad news. The good news is departments will now have their funding as of April 1st for at least a portion of the year to go about their business. And certainly to the extent that a department may find that it is that's providing a program or a service that they can't otherwise contract out or can't otherwise, you know, see another path forward on, they may well be able to find that funding. They will now have funding as of April 1st. Without the interim estimates, they don't have an appropriation as of April 1st. So that's the good news. The longer term, though, in terms of what this funding might look like or, you know, going forward what the structure or the services, who should be providing, should it be contract, all of those decisions, those are longer conversations and bigger decisions, part of business planning for the departments between housing and social housing and health and social services and, indeed, to the extent that there may be an initiative that gets brought forward again, that too would fall under the work that will happen now that we have priorities and can move forward to having a mandate.
So that's a fairly long question. I apologize, Mr. Chair but, again, interim estimates aren't meant to necessarily be around, you know, a new initiative or extending of an initiative but really are sort of a keeping lights on. But keeping the lights on, again, does include providing those core services and operations, whether it's under housing or health and social services. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Wawzonek. I'm going to the Member of Yellowknife North.
Yeah, and I understand this may not be able to be resolved today, but I think it speaks to sort of a dilemma we have that, you know, this is this is not a new initiative or like a temporary initiative. It's at the moment keeping 26 people housed that otherwise would be on the street and yeah, I guess I'll leave that for now but just wanting to put out that in the future I think we need to reconsider how we fund services like this, that I think we would all agree are essential and sometimes we do inhouse and sometimes contract out but very much take for granted that there are volunteers and nonprofits in our communities who will sort of hold that safety net.
I did have one more question about health and social services and the interim budget. I'm wondering if to adjust the anticipated high demand for health services and as we know we have ever rising costs as we rely on agency nurses and locum doctors as we were just talking about, I'm wondering if further contingency is required for the Department of Health and Social Services around compensation and benefits to ensure that we will have appropriate staffing just over the interim for the next few months.
Thank you. I'll take it as general comments. And I am going to continue on. Any further comments from Members? I don't see any.
I'm going to committee, we will return to the summary of interim estimates, item 5, Finance, for official Hansard records, the appropriation authority required, $95,645,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Summary of interim estimates, item 6, Health and Social Services, appropriation authority required, $201,071,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we'll continue with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Are there any questions? Okay, thank you. No hands are up.
Summary of interim estimates, item 7, Industry, Tourism and Investment, appropriation authority required, $24,073,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will continue with the Department of Infrastructure. Is there any questions? No hands up, I don't see. We'll continue on.
Summary of interim estimates, item 8, Infrastructure, appropriation authority required, $110,446,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will continue with the Department of Justice. Turning to page 4, is there any questions? Don't see any hands up. Thank you.
Summary of interim estimates, item 9, Justice, appropriation authority required, $56,259,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, we will continue with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Is there any questions? No questions, I'll continue on.
Summary of interim estimates, item 10, Municipal and Community Affairs, appropriation authority required, $97,313,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Now we will move on to the operation expenditure total appropriation authority required, $782,345,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Now moving on to page 5, schedule 2, borrowing. Borrowing plan for the government reporting entity and established borrowing limits for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Total government borrowing established limits per 20242025, Appropriation Act, $1,315,826,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Does the committee agree that concludes the consideration of Tabled Document 1320(1), Interim Estimates (Operations Expenditures) April 1 to June 30, 2024?
Agreed.
Members, will say agreed, okay. Thank you. Now I'll pass this on to the Member from Boot Lake, Mr. Rodgers.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 1320(1), Interim Estimates (Operations Expenditures), April 1st to June 30th, 2024, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 1320(1) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour, hands up. All those opposed, hands up. The motion is carried. Tabled Document 1320(1) will be reported as ready for consideration in the formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.
Carried
And I'm going to take this time to thank Minister Wawzonek, Mr. Courtoreille, and Mr. McKay for being here today. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move the chair rise and report progress.
Thank you. Okay, thank you. There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and nondebatable. All in favour all those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried. I will now rise and report progress.
-Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The committee has been considering Tabled Document 1320(1), Interim Estimates (Operations Expenditures), and that consideration of Tabled Document 13-20(1) is concluded and that the House concur and those estimates as amended and that an appropriation bill to be based therein and introduced without delay. And, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
