Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to follow up on my Member's statement with questions to the Minister of Finance. Can the Minister of Finance explain what he means by working together to make these hard decisions? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Honourable Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a process in the Legislative Assembly that we go through where we appear before a committee with our business planning process outlining some of the challenges we're facing and then we get feedback from committee, and we will develop our main estimates that we will debate in the May/June budget session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister please provide us with a picture of who was involved in coming up with these ideas for cuts, reductions, and revenue options?
Mr. Speaker, we have tasked our senior officials with providing us with some options to have a look at the workings of each department within the Government of Northwest Territories and we will work with committee. I have committed to the Priorities and Planning Committee that I would have a discussion with them again and that we will go through the business plan planning exercise. We will get more feedback from Committee as to how we are going to deal with the situation that's facing us, and then we will develop our main estimates that we will table in May/June. I must emphasize, Mr. Speaker, that we are still spending approximately $1.7 billion in our budget for the people for the people of Northwest Territories.
I’d like to thank the Minister for his answer. Can the Minister of Finance please tell us how the frontline public servants have been involved in providing recommendations to this government?
Mr. Speaker, again, we have tasked our senior officials, our deputies, with finding some options and bring forward to Cabinet that we can in turn share with committee. As part of that process, they would talk to all those in their department right down to the regional level as to some of the recommendations that they may have as to how we can address some of the challenges that are facing us. I'm sure there's a process that goes down and then they report back to the deputies who in turn would come forward to this Cabinet with some options and we would share them with committee and get their feedback as well.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his answer. Is there any way that you can provide the Regular Members with a flowchart or how this message was relayed to the public servants, and if there's a way that the public servants are encouraged to provide this information? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
There has been no decisions made yet, but I take the Member's point. We will have a discussion with all those involved because this would have far-reaching implications across the Northwest Territories, at the same time we need to make sure that we live within our means. It's prudent on us as government to seek input from all those involved across the Northwest Territories and we commit to doing that, and I've committed to the committee that I would find some time with them during this particular session and give them an update as to the work that we're doing.
Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
