Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that Bill 14, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2024-2025, be read for the second time.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures of the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion passed.
---Carried
Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole and other matters, Tabled Document 193-20(1), the 2025-2026 Capital Estimates.
Thank you. I now call Committee of the Whole to order. I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 193-20(1), 2025-2026 Capital Estimates for the Departments of Municipal and Community Affairs; Education, Culture and Employment; Infrastructure; and, Environment and Climate Change. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume the first item. Thank you.
---BRIEF RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 193-20(1), Capital Estimates 2025-2026, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Does the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs wish to bring a witness to the chamber? So I'll go to the Minister.
I do, please.
Okay, I'm sorry. So I'm going to go to the -- does the committee agree for the Minister to bring in witnesses?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers.
Okay, thank you. Would the Minister please introduce the witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left is Gary Brennan, deputy minister, and to my right is Grace Lau-a, a director of community operations.
Thank you. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in tabled documents?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs begins on page 67. We will defer the department totals and review the estimates by activity summary beginning on page 68 with community operation with information items on page 69. Are there any questions? Seeing none.
Department on Municipal and Community Affairs, community operation, infrastructure investments, $7,075,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Next we have is regional operation on page 70 with information item on page 71. Are there any questions? Seeing no questions from Members.
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operation, infrastructure investments, $32,848,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, Members. Please return now to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs summary found on page 67. Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, $39,923,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the capital estimates for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, 2025-2026 Capital Estimates, for total department is deferred.
---Carried
Thank you, committee. And thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers.
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 193-20(1), Capital Estimates 2025-2026, Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Does the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment wish to bring in witnesses into the chamber?
Committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witness into the chambers.
Thank you. Would the Minister please introduce the witnesses.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my left I have James Fulford who is the deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment. And to my right I have Terri-Lynn Locke-Setter who is the assistant deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Okay, thank you. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Is the committee agreed to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled documents? Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment beginning on page 19. We will defer the department totals and review the estimates by activity summary beginning at page 21 with education with information item on page 22. Are there any questions? Thank you, I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I have some questions -- or a question about the Aurora College student housing unit in Fort Smith. There's renovation of a couple units there. So my question is not so much about that project but, you know, the capital plan indicates repairs for those but there's no funds for other Aurora College capital needs proposed this year. So what are the timelines, priority levels and expected funding for other critical areas or need across the Aurora College campuses? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, those were the priorities as identified by Aurora College for housing within their envelope of housing. What I believe that the Member is referring to is the facility's master plan. And the department has included the facility's master plan in its 20-year capital needs assessment and have also ensured that they have put this funding plan forward to the federal government and shared it with them, and the GNWT will continue to work alongside Aurora College on their capital needs as they do come up in their transformation plans. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Certainly, I appreciate that answer. I would appreciate some more detail on how discussions are going with the federal government. And, you know, if the Minister can kind of speak to expected capital items coming forward in the next couple of years that this Assembly will likely be looking at for Aurora College capital needs, I'd appreciate that discussion. Thank you. So I'll frame that as a question, thank you.
I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I have indicated to the college that I am certainly keen to receive their list of priorities and also understand what it is that they need and what years that they do need them so that I can further community that as well to my colleagues. And for potentially further information, I'd be happy to share the floor with the deputy minister through yourself.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Respectfully, I believe the Minister was looking to refer to her deputy.
I'm going to go to the deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't have a lot to add to the Minister's response. We work closely with Aurora College as matters, including the determination of, for example a Yellowknife site are determined, there will be more requests and discussion about future infrastructure needs and we're -- you know, continue to work with them at a very close level. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Frame Lake.
