Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Madam Chair. There was a temporary increase as a result of the need to do some survey work and therefore there was some unfunded positions that were being that was what resulted in that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier, as was mentioned earlier in this government, the Member actually had put us in a room together with a number of folks who are in this space, and it came up that De Beers was looking at this, so we have the department has reached back out to them. I understand that while that may have fallen off the radar for De Beers, there's been some further conversations now with some of their folks. So as I said earlier, if there's a larger coalition able to look for Arctic grade not just winter grade and definitely not summer grade, but Arctic grade it may...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there was discussion at an operational level with the chair of Arctic Energy Alliance. And, Madam Chair, I know this wasn't part of the question per se, but let me just walk back a little bit in saying that there's you know, we don't want to do things in bits and pieces. As a government, we want to be strategic, but being strategic does include things like even putting in the single EV charger that has to run on diesel for now, it still has a value. So I do see that. I don't want to I wouldn't want people to think that it's hopeless to go and replace...
Madam Chair, let me put that to the deputy minister, please.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm not sort of a technical expert, but I don't think it's going to take technical expertise to say yes. More satisfied is more efficient, more productive, you know, easier to recruit, because you want people who will want to go and work at a place that reflects those kind of values. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll see what the next question is.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been outreach to a number of different suppliers. There was an effort, in fact, to run a pilot as I alluded to in my last response. But in terms of exactly which suppliers they've reached out to, I don't have a list in front of me. I can say again, though, that the challenge was, firstly, not even being able to find any supplier. If there are new supplies available, we can certainly go back, make sure that we do have the latest information. I'm happy to commit to do that and to report back. Again, I know I have followed up with the department...
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think there is still work happening. It's still in the budget. So I'm just trying to see if I have a detail on what the current I don't have detail in front of me on what the exact programs or projects might be for the coming year, but there is still money in the budget ongoing for academic research related to well, it would be related to the 2030 Energy Strategy. I can certainly get details. Or sorry, Madam Chair, I just want to make sure I'm looking at the right alternative. Is it the top line?
Oh, there we are. Sorry, Madam Chair. I had the wrong one here. Just...
Thank you, Madam Chair, I can. So one of the earliest amalgamations that is involved here is that of the human resources, which was previously out on its own and then joined in the Department of Finance, I think, right at around 2018. Information shared system services was the next, so that was which is now the office of the information chief information officer and now has grown further with by bringing TSC's folks from Infrastructure over to be all in one umbrella of information shared systems services, so information technology essentially, all under one umbrella but all under the...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is the document that guides what happens when first an agency or other department identifies a debt for repayment and then brings it forward for consideration. As I noted, the consideration does already include circumstances where an individual's indigent, so if there's a disconnect happening, if there's someone who's in those circumstances and is not finding their debt forgiven, I am going to commit that myself and my colleague Minister of housing will work together to make sure that if there's a something if there's disconnecting, we could speak...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can agree because that is one of the considerations that is within the Financial Administration Manual that if an individual is indigent or in other words is unable to repay, then that is one of the considerations and could be one of the reasons for forgiveness or remission of a debt. Thank you.