Caroline Wawzonek
Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, at this point, I think that's unlikely. And you know, I will say that I know when I had attended in Hay River, and I know Mr. Thompson has been there with the Premier. I think several ministers now have actually attended to Hay River. We were all quite keenly aware of the impacts. There has been an RFP out now to help support and provide shortterm accommodations within the community for individuals who can't return to their homes and who will require those supports.
As far as, you know, providing money into the hands of individuals, you know, again this $10...
Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, these things do take a bit of time. I mean, the commitment was made at the time of budgeting but then, you know, it does have to get the drafting has to get put through the Department of Justice, as well as ourselves, and in this case, there is an element where we rely on Manitoba for the it's not quite a sticker, Madam Chair, but essentially it's something to that effect. So there's just a few steps to be taken. We knew it wouldn't be immediate.
And Madam Chair, I'm having trouble hearing but I gather there was a question as well with respect to...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is one of the commitments that is under the Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework. And I certainly recognize that the passion is being brought to it for exactly this reason, that there does need to be, you know, a better way of doing this to achieve the goals that we have of having more inclusive public service. So it's included already in that action plan.
There is the new job description guide. I ought to have mentioned it in the last response.
The job description guide is meant to be a place where there can be more cohesive approach to how...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so there are a few things bound up in there.
I am mindful of time, but the management board secretariat is an integral part of the Department of Finance, and they provide the strategic advice and analysis that goes into the financial management board to help analyze decisions that are being made and they'll provide us advice when the financial management board meets.
There's quite a lot of information about them on the website, and I'd certainly be very happy to have the Member go and look at it because they are an important they do perform a very important...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there is the Northwest Territories Victim of Crime Emergency Fund. I would certainly, you know, acknowledge that there's not really going to be any amount that remotely compensates someone who's been a victim of a serious crime. This is one of the ones, though, that does try to help out in terms of some emergency or immediate planning that might happen. And I think the Member mentions, you know, fixing of a door, for instance, or replacing of a lock. So, you know, really small things in the scale of what can occur to someone who's been impacted by a violent...
Madam Chair, thank you. I have deputy minister of Finance Bill MacKay on my left and Terence Courtoreille, the deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board on my right.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, the amount for the emergency shelters was not intended to be ongoing but to help provide some support to the Housing Corporation so that they in turn could support some of the shelters that were in sort of immediate need and to tide them over because it's my understanding that there were federal funds that were coming available but they just weren't ready at the time. So it was meant for one time to get them through what was a difficult cycle. If there is further needs ongoing by the next cycle, then that would have to come through a business planning...
Thank you, Madam Chair. So Madam Chair, for 20222023, it's not a windfall. It's funding that does come in from the federal governments under anticipated programming to a certain degree. So for 20222023, we have just shy of $200,000 in salary and benefits. But $492,000 does go out for contributions and grants, and a small proportion for occupations and maintenance.
Now as for, you know, the individual breakdown of how that happens organization by organization, Madam Chair, I am conscious that there is an additional outstanding obligation that was agreed to, to look at how we were doing those...
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am happy to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 20222023. These Supplementary Estimates propose a total increase of $56.956 million, $32.7 million of which will be offset by revenues from the Government of Canada. Notable items which are partially or fully offset by federal funding include the following:
$9.4 million to support early learning and child care in the Northwest Territories;
$7.1 million for activities associated with the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund;
$5.5 million to continue the transformation of Aurora...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it is my understanding that this should be the full costing for the use of those airlines for the 45 days. Now, I say that, always, with just a note of caution that what we're seeing right now in terms of inflation and fuel costs, and essentially all costs around us seemingly rising, it's not to say that there couldn't be increased costs to the forest fire season this year. We're certainly very hopeful that it's not. Thank you.