Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 813-19(2), 2023-2024 Main Estimates, and I would like to report progress with one motion passed. And, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

May I please have the report of Committee of the Whole. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

---SHORT RECESS

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Mahsi.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of Department of Finance, 2023-2024 Main Estimates, operating expenditures, total department, is deferred.

Thank you, Minister. Thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Member for Frame Lake, what is the wish of committee?

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Finance at this point. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

All right. Are there any further questions under the information items? Seeing none, thank you, Members, please return now to the departmental summary found on page 149. Revenue summary, information items on page 150. Are there any questions? No further questions, I will now call the department summary.

Finance, operations expenditures, total department, 2023-2024 Main Estimates, $337,534,000. Member for Frame Lake.

Seeing as the Minister left me, like, 15 seconds, I really do want to ask a question; however just -- I won't. That could be her reward. So thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks.

Thank you. Anything final, Member for Great Slave?

Thank you, Madam Chair. That -- I guess I set myself up for that one. Madam Chair, so, I mean, we have the liquor and cannabis commission, which is the entity responsible for actually doing the sales of the liquor and now cannabis. So the revolving fund really does fund those operations and as soon as they have an excess, they don't make a profit; that money goes back to the consolidated revenue of the Government of the Northwest Territories. But by keeping it separate, they do -- they can run their own operation, and -- yes, separate unto themselves which I would say is not necessarily an area that I'm keen to see myself have to get too involved into the actual buying and selling of the liquor. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you. Then my question is why is it revolving fund to begin with? I really struggle sometimes with understanding the accounting mechanisms that have been set up, the third arm, health's -- you know, the third arm's length health authorities, the housing corp, or NWT Housing not being a department. Like, why did we decide to do it this way; what makes this worthwhile if we can't then control it? Thank you.