Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, with me, I have the deputy minister of finance, Bill MacKay. And I have Kristal Melanson, director for the management board secretariat.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, no, the current capital estimates are still the current capital estimates. So there's no change to what's before the House now with respect to or as a result of this wildfire season. You know, again, as I'd indicated, if there was to be changes coming, that would be in a future capital plan. But the yeah, I mean, the materials and the information that's before you here, there is already or quite a bit of investment into the area. So nothing contemplated to change in these capital plans. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I am here to present the Government of the Northwest Territories 20242025 Capital Estimates, the last capital budget of the 19th Legislative Assembly. This budget builds on our commitment to tabling a capital budget that is achievable while still addressing the priorities and needs of Northwest Territories residents.

These capital estimates propose:

$361 million in expenditures to support and continue infrastructure investment in our communities. Major highlights of this capital budget include:

$94.2 million for highways, winter roads, bridges and culverts. Key...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wouldn't be in a position to speak to what might be coming down the pipes here. I turn it to Dr. Kelly, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm hesitant to try to stand and draw comparisons to the Yukon, and the reason is this: This Mineral Resource Act regulations was the first resource first of all of the projects in the Northwest Territories land and natural resources sector that relied on the Intergovernmental Council process. There were a lot of lessons learned on what that process could look like, how it could work. In the end, it's actually and my understanding from reading the summary report that I've seen is that the technical working group composed of the Intergovernmental Council...

Madam Chair, that is a huge question. It's a huge question that comes in light of the fact that, you know, again, this was this was a difficult few years, and we have some projects where people work in communities for safety reasons didn't want teams come into their communities. Then we had other projects where they were not able to go into those communities. And we've had then some other projects where the supply chain has utterly disrupted our schedules and then significantly impacted on the costs.

So I'm not sure that in at the end of those three years of that nature is necessarily the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there will be changes to the royalty regime. It's part of the regulatory process that we're undergoing. Whether it will necessarily be what the Member wants or visions for it, I can't say. Obviously, the process isn't done. It's one that we are going through, and I will detail it at some length in the summary report showing the process that is followed with the Intergovernmental Council. I can say from the recent mining and Minister's or energy and mining Ministers' conference that I was at that there's been some work done at Enercan, looking at all of...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Joining now at the table is Perry Heath who is the director of infrastructure and planning for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, as I said earlier, Madam Chair, the overall completion date for the total project is August of 2024. The revised gym completion date because when we recognize, again, discussing with community leadership at the behest of the Member from the region was really looking at that as a priority for the community for the reasons that the Member's already mentioned and so the revised gym completion date, which was supposed to be ready for the school year, is now, I've been given, November the 1st. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think there's been a long uncertainty about which would take priority, whether it's the roads that bring the resupply or whether it would be access to greener and more sustainable energy solutions, which is really an area that is particularly for critical minerals but for the mineral the large diamond mines that make public commitments as well as to how they're going to move forward, whether, again, which of those two they take first. I'm sure they'd probably be happy to take both. You know, with respect to roads, Mr. Speaker, I know two at least two of...