Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the Minister could provide to the committee, to other Members who are not Members of the standing committee on fiance, is there a formula the Minister's office used to determine their ministerial home travel?
Debates of Dec. 16th, 1991
Topics
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 135
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 135
The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Minister.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, it is in ministerial administrative procedures, section 12, the title is "home travel". Item 2 says, "A Minister's annual budget for home travel expenses is based on the estimated costs of 32 economy class return air trips between the Minister's home community in his or her electoral district and Yellowknife." Mr. Chairman, those costs have been pro-rated for the previous Executive and for the new Executive and if you wish I will read them into the record.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 135
The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Zoe.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
December 15th, 1991
Page 135
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, I think it would be appropriate if the honourable Member would read it into the record.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 135
The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Minister.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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John Pollard Hay River
This is pro-rated, Mr. Chairman. The Government Leader, home travel, $11,177; Mr. Allooloo, $28,298; Mr. Kakfwi, $8880; Mr. Morin, $2088; Mr. Ningark, $13,992; Mr. Patterson, $17,168; Myself, $3176; Mr. Whitford, no dollars.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 135
The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Zoe.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, in regard to the home travel budget, could Ministers use other types of trips -- let me put it a different way. The Minister's ability to use the home travel budget for other types of trips, is that allowed? Is it strictly home travel? For instance Mr. Allooloo, if he did not utilize it to go home on duty, could he utilize it to go to Expo in Spain? That is an extreme, but is it strictly for home travel?
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Minister.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, it is limited only to Minister's home travel.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Gargan.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, I do believe that most Members will be going home for Christmas, but other than that you have the winter session that starts in February, so from February right up to the end of the fiscal year, March 30th, there are about seven weeks we are going to be in session. But also you have to look at maybe we are not going to be in session for the next month and a half. Am I
correct to assume that -- the Finance Minister has done an estimate on how many times a Minister is going to be travelling to their home community, back and forth -- for example in Mr. Allooloo's riding, for him to go back to this community it is going to be $28,000. Are we assuming that Mr. Allooloo is going to be doing $28,000 worth of travel between his home community and here? I would assume that every week he would be looking at travelling back to the home community.
When you say "home community" -- I know for myself my home community is Fort Providence because that is where I live. Do Ministers also have homes that they reside in? What you call "home" in this place and your constituency is where you come from. Maybe you could enlighten me on that.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 136
The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Minister.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, the guideline specifically says "the Minister's home community in his/her electoral district and Yellowknife." So it is specifically saying the home community is in the electoral district where the Minister was elected. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Special warrant, $90,000; not previously authorized $72,000. Agreed? Mr. Koe.
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Fred Koe Inuvik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Looking through the document, and starting at this first page, the items under "not previously authorized" I see in the details the words "special warrants" right through this document. To me the words "not previously authorized" means that obviously these were not budgeted for and not authorized by anyone. My concern is with the special warrant. Who authorizes special warrants?
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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John Pollard Hay River
The Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Chairman, on the recommendation of the Financial Management Board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Thank you. Mr. Koe.
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Fred Koe Inuvik
Is there any limitation as to what the Commissioner can authorize?
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Mr. Minister.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
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John Pollard Hay River
There is no dollar limit, Mr. Chairman, to what the Commissioner may authorize upon the recommendation of the Financial Management Board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 1: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1991-92
Item 17: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Ludy Pudluk
Thank you. Mr. Koe.
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Fred Koe Inuvik
If there is no dollar limit, does he ever say no? Is every bill or document put forward to the Commissioner approved on the advice of the Financial Management Board?