Caroline Wawzonek
Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Madam Chair, I do have some estimated costs at this point. I know I had an opportunity to meet with several of the Members last week and was provided some of those costs to them. I don't have that necessarily at my fingertips now in that I was planning to focus the discussion today on the fire response and not on the various evacuation costs. Again, that I do expect, as I said earlier, that we will certainly be facing a supplementary appropriation, probably in the Department of Finance, which is where some of the added amounts are, but quite possibly for the Municipal and Community Affairs...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so, of course, a special warrant would be where it would be on the lead of Department of Finance Cabinet to issue an appropriation without going through the Assembly process. That is never a first choice. Madam Chair, that's my hope where even as I was giving you the estimates of where we're at in terms of our firefighting and the estimated shortfall as of about a week ago, you know, it would put us around $69.5 million shortfall, we are asking for $75 million here today. If this is passed, it is our anticipation, Madam Chair, that this should be...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, that does seem to be directed at the Premier. I'd like to suggest that she address that. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, yes, that is my understanding as well, that, indeed, the emergency response elements, so namely this is where some of the evacuation costs may be covered if they are within the parameters currently existing under the DFAA but, indeed, firefighting response/wildfire response, would not be. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we certainly can. There is a contracts report that does get prepared every year. Procurement does manage and monitor and ultimately will be able to sort of collate, if you will, all of the spending. Certainly, in emergency times, that spending wouldn't necessarily follow a more formal procurement process, but sometimes it does too. All of which is to say those types of reports are prepared regularly, and I can see that there being one prepared that is specific to the wildfire season. Thank you.
Madam Chair, I believe on the line, also remotely, should be the deputy minister of Finance Bill MacKay, as well as Terence Courtoreille, the assistant deputy minister or deputy secretary to the financial management board. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 4th Anniversary of the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The final report describes the dire situation faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBPTQIA+ people as genocide. It also delivers 231 Calls for justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians to affect change.
Since the release of the final report, the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken steps to begin to affect change so that Indigenous women, girls and...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to be very brief so there's no misunderstanding for the public. The money that's going towards NTPC isn't necessarily to support their operations. This is a rate stabilization fund increase, Mr. Speaker, and that is really quite specifically because given the costs of fuel, which everyone's experiencing, the government experiences it too and Northwest Territories Power Corporation experiences those increases in rates or increases in fuel, that winds up being an added cost that was not built in to the rates during the last rate process. Therefore, now, they...
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 95, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be read for a third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Boot Lake, that Bill 95, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 20232024, be read for the second time.
This bill makes supplementary appropriations for infrastructure expenditures for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 20232024fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.