Caroline Wawzonek

Well, Mr. Speaker, obviously setting the priorities of the Assembly is work that we've all collectively just done, and the next step is to ensure that there's a mandate to help achieve those priorities. Obviously, that's work that happens by all Members of Cabinet, including myself, and I believe will be work that involves back and forth to Members of the Assembly including the Member who's asking the question. So as that process is underway, I'm hopeful and confident that it can continue to be a dialogue and one that will see reflection of everyone that's here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's not lost on anyone that the challenges in the last few years have put a lot of strain on households, on businesses, and there's little appetite or capacity arguably even for tax increases. But beyond that, Mr. Speaker, tax revenues are a pretty small slice of the revenues that we receive. The Government of Canada transfers in various forms; in particular TFF. That's our major source of revenue, up to 80 percent. So taxes are not right now what we're looking at. We're right now trying to figure out everywhere and every other option available to us. That...

Mr. Speaker, if he would like longer periods of notice in advance of documents, I guess we'll have to find a longer period of time as much as is available. It wasn't much time that we had to turn around coming up with a fiscal strategy in order to have it to Members and then to the public in advance of the priority setting, which seemed like a responsible way of going about things. But I will certainly endeavour to make sure that there's a longer period of time that the Member has these documents before they're made public. Thank you.

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...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax changes and the removal of the home heating fuel element, that was certainly, at least from all of the media that I was hearing, was a fairly clear and strong public outcry.

With respect to the fiscal strategy, Mr. Speaker, and its being shared, it is being shared confidentially. There's a lot of documents that get shared confidentially between Members and Cabinet, and then after that period of time it does get shared out publicly depending and Members can or cannot respond or can or cannot provide their comments on these documents that get...

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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is certainly a concern that gets raised that too many people are working in the North, benefitting from high median wages, which do maintain ours too continue to be very high and yet aren't actually providing to any sort of tax revenue here. So with that in mind, some years ago, a payroll tax at 2 percent of employment income was imposed. And we bring about $48 million in payroll tax. About $10 million of that is coming from nonresident workers, Mr. Speaker. So as far as we're maximizing it, obviously increased taxes you increase revenues, but at...

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, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is definitely part of the kind of work that we want to be doing and making a really strong effort to ensure that we are, in fact, adhering to current industry best practices. These are exactly the conversations to be had, not only about making cuts and certainly not about making cuts to programs and services that people depend on, but looking at what we can do to encourage all departments, every agency, to be maintaining the standards to accounts receivable. Right now, that is if invoices are 30 days or more past due, we want to be making sure that...

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.