Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I'm happy to speak to that. Mr. Speaker, I spent a fair bit of time in front of committee last Assembly. I expect I'll spend a lot of time in front of committee again. I've also already made efforts to share information with committee, both in terms of sharing the fiscal strategy, which I'll note, Mr. Speaker, in the past, certainly in the four years ago and my knowledge of past Assemblies, a fiscal strategy was not shared in advance, was not shared with committee, was not made public. We've already made better than that. We shared with committee. We then took it out to the public...

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...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're all happy to share on this side of the House. Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax regulations that were changed came about as a result, quite frankly, of a significant amount of outcry by the public. So it was very apparent that members of the public were wondering when they would see an equivalent amount of relief to what was being promised by other jurisdictions across Canada, the regulations lie within the Department of Finance to make those changes, and in response to what was really a very strong, very clear request from the public those changes were...

Sorry, Mr. Chair, I'm having some trouble hearing. I think it is actually maybe I think Mr. Courtoreille heard it so let me pass it over to him, please.

Pretty quiet whispers, Mr. Speaker. I don't think I've heard anyone whispering those words. Sales tax at this point would obviously have a pretty significant cost increase to individuals and residents. We are already finding that the cost of living anecdotally people say all the time the cost of living is very high. And the recent years and a number of challenges we faced have only made those challenges worse for everyone. So there's no whispers of a sales tax at this point, Mr. Speaker. We're going to have to see what we can do with the government to make sure that we're best utilizing our...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is based at this moment on the agreement as it stands with Canada. I can't speak to what discussions or whether discussions are ongoing with education, culture and employment but just that at this point this is based on the agreement as it is. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, accounts receivable, March of last year, which would be the last time that it comes out with an actual, was at around $131 million. And of that, there is a significant amount that is due to the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. There is ongoing work happening within the authority to make sure that they are billing back timely. So every time someone from outside of territory with a different health care card is in the territory, that does create, for example, an accounts receivable balance. And as I said, I know they are alive to it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left, Bill MacKay is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. And on my right, Terence Courtoreille is the deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board.

Mr. Speaker, secure, affordable, and sustainable that is the vision for energy in the Northwest Territories outlined in the 2030 Energy Strategy, a vision for an energy system that is less dependent on fossil fuels and that contributes to the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of the Northwest Territories and its residents.

Since the energy strategy was released in 2018, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the entire territory have made positive strides in realizing that vision. The progress made on the energy strategy is detailed in the 20222023 Energy Initiatives...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm happy to be presenting this afternoon Tabled Document 1320(1): Interim Estimates, (Operations Expenditures) , April 1st to June 30th, 2024, for the Government of the Northwest Territories. The interim estimates will allow public services to continue to be provided until the main estimates for the fiscal year have been fully debated and approved by the Legislative Assembly.

The estimates propose a total appropriation of $782 million for operations between April 1st and June 30th, 2024, and $1.3 billion in borrowing for the GNWT for the 20242025 fiscal year.

T...