Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is the witness table currently speculating on the ceiling for a project of that size. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. Is the Minister aware of how many other jurisdictions, provincial and territorial jurisdictions, rent their courthouses? Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not. I suspect the Member might be.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Range Lake.
Yes, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister's correct. I believe we are the only one. So we have, again, a lease that's underperforming in terms of value for money. I appreciate that the territorial government has many different priorities, but an unsafe building that's not fit for purpose -- or sorry, perhaps unsafe is too extreme a word. But a building that known security concerns that is not fit for purpose, I don't think is in our interest to continue on this track. That's my position. Obviously, there are so many needs in the territory, but to continue to ignore this is just throwing more and more money at this lease that will seemingly stretch into infinity. So if we're going to pitch -- if we could pitch the dream infrastructure projects, I think we need to put courthouse back on the table because this is just a bad use of public funds. And I don't need the Minister to respond. I think I made my point clear. Thank you.
Thank you. Is there any further questions? Seeing none, I'll continue on.
Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025, Department of Justice, capital investment expenditures, court services, not previously authorized, $1,071,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025; Department of Justice, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $1,879,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Please turn to page 16.
Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025; Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, capital investment expenditures, regional operations, not previously authorized, $80,000. Are there any questions? Seeing none, I'll continue on.
Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025; Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, capital investment expenditures, regional operations, not previously authorized, $80,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025; Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, capital investment expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $80,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, there is a schedule on page 17 of the document, impact on capital estimates. Are there any questions? Seeing none. Thank you, committee.
Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 111-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025? Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of Tabled Document 111-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025, at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The motion is in order. To the motion. SOME HON. MEMBERS: Question.
Question. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion carried. Consideration of Tabled Document 111-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025, is deferred.
---Carried
Thank you, Minister, and thank you for your witnesses appearing before us. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers. Thank you.
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. 2024-2025 Main Estimates, Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 93-20(1), 2024-2025 Main Estimates. We will now consider the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, please proceed with your opening remarks.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to present the 2024-2025 Main Estimates for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $1.9 million, or 3.1 percent, over the 2023-2024 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment while continuing to meet the Government of the Northwest Territories's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending. Highlights of these proposed estimates include initiative funding totalling $1.2 million, which include:
$529,000 to continue to support the growth and potential of the Northwest Territories film and media sector and increasing the competitiveness of the NWT to generate benefits to the NWT economy;
$521,000 to support the completion and implementation of the Mineral Resources Act regulations; and,
$100,000 to continue our support of the tourism sector under Tourism 2025 towards the five-year investment strategy for the tourism sector.
Forced growth funding totalling $279,000, which include:
$149,000 to address the growing costs associated with the territorial parks’ operator contracts and utilities; and
$130,000 to support the opening and ongoing operations and maintenance of the North Arm Territorial Park.
Other adjustments totalling $3.3 million, which include:
$2.4 million to continue to support the GNWT's commitment to revitalizing the commercial fishery sector to grow and diversify the NWT economy to create jobs and to advance greater food security;
$489,000 to continue to support the growth of the agriculture and Agri-food sector in the NWT through partnership agreement with agriculture and Agri-food Canada;
$298,000 to continue to support the growth and potential of the NWT film and media sector through partnership with Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency; and,
$94,000 to support the increasing technology service centre chargeback costs.
Fiscal sustainability reduction of $2.7 million to support the GNWT's fiscal strategy for the 20th Assembly by reducing expenditures to streamline programs and services, and the department will continue to find operating cost efficiencies and revenue opportunities where possible, and sunsets of $913,000. These estimates support the priorities of the 20th Assembly and vision of the Budget 2024 by including 75 actions in ITI's business plan.
In relation to the mandate commitment and the spirit of collaborative governance, working with partners on an economic vision for the NWT and an investment attraction action plan, ITI is continuing to work closely with the Indigenous governments on an Intergovernmental Council technical working group on the completion of the Mineral Resources Act regulations. This co-development approach will support the priority to build a strong economic foundation in a manner that meets the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and advances the long-term prosperity for all territorial residents.
Some of the other actions ITI will pursue in support of the strong economic foundation priority include working with partners to find regulatory efficiencies for the mineral resource sector and supporting responsible resource exploration and advance and operating projects including for our critical mineral departments. A strong economic foundation also depends on the strength of all our economic sectors. ITI will encourage a diverse range of economic activities by promoting entrepreneurship, fostering research and innovation, building strong partnerships, and leveraging opportunities in all regions.
Some of the actions I'm most excited about include:
Completing a program review of the SEED program with an eye to ensuring that business supports are effective in achieving their intended purpose;
Identifying pathways for entrepreneurship and public housing, as well as through income assistance;
Promoting access and opportunities in nonextractive sectors, including the arts, fisheries, film, and tourism;
Advancing plans to transition the diamond mine workforce; and
Improving the accessibility for arts and immigration programming.
That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. Does the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment wish to bring witnesses into the House? Thank you. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.
Thank you. Would the Minister introduce her witnesses.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my left I have Pamela Strand, deputy minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. And to my right, I have Nina Salvador, who is the director of corporate services and finance.
Thank you. Does the committee agree to forego general comments? Agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you. Seeing no more general comments, does the committee agree to proceed with the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee, we will defer the department summary and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with corporate management starting at page 231 with information items on page 233. Are there any questions? Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in the department's business plan, there are quite a few actions that relate to the grants and contributions policy and the work that will be done to streamline and put all ITI's programs or applicable programs under that policy. I'm wondering if the Minister can elaborate on that work a little bit more and what she believes the timeline will look like. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, can I pass to the deputy minister for that one, please.
I'll go to the deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yes, the timeline will probably be over the life of the government. We haven't yet figured out which ones will come first, but it does modernize all of our programs and puts them all under one roof so that we can have consistency, openness, and transparency, especially on areas like appeals. Right now, they are different for all the different programs and so, yeah, we'll have a staged approach, you know, starting this fiscal. Thank you, Mr. Chair
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to deputy minister Strand for that as well. Can the Minister or her deputy minister please explain if the work that ITI is going to be conducting on this policy will be taken to the directors of policy for consistency across government? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's an ITI policy, so it would be centered there, but as with most of our work we are always happy to share, especially when it is good news stories that are working well within the department. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, thank you for that clarification. But grants and contributions policies are generally used across government, so I hope there is some -- I hate this word -- synergies for the rest of the GNWT to at least maybe learn from your lessons.
The other question I have on this activity is what has made corporate costs jump a significant amount from the 2023-2024 Main Estimates? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the significant amount of increase between the main estimates actually comes from internal budget transfers of corporate related costs, and corporate related costs are employee future benefits, which are things like severance, parental leave, sick leave, annual leave, lieu time. So that's where the most significant amount of cost has come from, and then the second most significant is TSE chargebacks.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
It's okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Is there ANY further questions? Seeing none, I'll continue on. Please turn to page 232.
Industry, Tourism and Investment, corporate operations, operations expenditure summary, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, $9,579,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to economic diversification and business support, beginning on page 234 with information items on page 238. Are there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And to kick this off, I just want to clarify if -- with the Minister if I have questions around ITI's economic vision and investment strategy, is this the right place? Yeah, okay, fantastic.
So in ITI's business plan, the economic vision to 2035 is spoken about as well as an investment strategy. Is the intent to create and release these documents sooner than later in the life of this Assembly? I'll start there, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
