Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, the Member has spoken to myself and Minister Simpson as well just yesterday so I will prepare to discuss that further next week. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not an accountant either. Let me take one run at it and if - but if not, I can certainly ask one of the folks with me to do so. But the money only needs to come in as a carryover if that amount is required in the upcoming year. So if the amount for 20222023 wasn't spent and was required in 20232024, it would be a carryover. For a multiyear project, if there's going to be future asks coming in for 2024-2025 in our capital plan, then you'll see it in the capital plan. But in a multiyear project, it may well be that they don't need to carry over an amount from 20232024...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So all of the project that is under the North Arm Park theme within the Tlicho region, that is part of - you might recall we have the Tlicho Infrastructure Cooperation Agreement, and so moving this project forward has been subject to that agreement and operating under that agreement has proven - or has resulted in some delay in terms of being able to establish contracts and to have it procured through that process. I think there's a path forward now, and so the carry over here now should hopefully see more of that money spent this fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Madam Chair, all I am able to say is to confirm that indeed that does seem like a very good idea, that there is something being worked on, and hopefully it will be in place - well, I can't give a timeline for it to be in place. It's not an initiative necessarily of the Department of Finance but I can commit to getting a timeline to committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I would certainly put the hat on as being Minister responsible for the Public Service to say that I know many, many public servants in all departments have faced a great deal of challenges over the last few years and, frankly, have, you know, performed, I would argue, very admirably well under those circumstances nonetheless.

Out of the projects here, there's 20 that are complete or over 50 percent completion, another 31 that are underway and moving forward. There are others that have not started, or we aren't quite sure where they are in process. So it's...

The full work is not done, Madam Chair. There is - it's expected to have - to see further work this summer, 20242025, and 20252026. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, let me go back and double check. I mean, I'm showing various carry over amounts over the year over year, but I don't know that I have a total project in front of me. So at the risk of being inaccurate, again, I will confirm - I will make sure that we can get that to committee unless we get it here in the next few seconds from someone else in cyberspace. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we spent $285 million in 20222023, which actually is a pretty significant amount when you compare it to what was being spent over ten years before that. And particularly considering those are postCOVID years that a lot of challenges were being faced, both private sector and public sector.

Madam Chair, at this point we would reconcile we reconcile the Fiscal Responsibility Policy in the fall. I have - and we do track it over time, and we'll be seeing the most recent up to date numbers when we come forward with the capital budget in August.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, there are - well, this is a funding that is entirely applicationbased, but it is applications for federal dollars, not for our dollars. So, again, you know - again, and I do want to make clear, I certainly wouldn't want any community governments or municipal governments thinking that we're not happy to be able to help and that MACA certainly would be able help. I can tell you there are 84 projects that are at least have - you know, moved forward. Five of those now, mind you, are waiting again for approval from Canada so not the GNWT. I'll stop there...

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is the last of the main highway. So, again, the highway has substantial completion, but you would still have an amount under the contract owed, just wanting to ensure that, of course, you have done due diligence to ensure that there's no deficiencies. If there are, you do hold back a payment to the contractor. When we're assured that there's no deficiencies, then the final payments would flow. So that level of assurance and due diligence hasn't been done yet and so that's why we're asking to just carry this forward to ensure that that is complete. Thank you.