Arctic College, not previously authorized, $375,000, surplus. Agreed?
Debates of March 30th, 1992
Topics
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Total Capital
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Total department, $5,265,000 surplus. Agreed? Mr. Zoe.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, before you conclude this, I would like to ask the Minister a couple of questions. I notice that in supp 3, particularly in capital, the number of surplus figures coming in, there is always a little comment at the bottom where projects are being included in the following year, in 1992-93 capital estimates. I notice that of a number of projects that were approved for 1991-92, there are some projects that did not make it into this supp 3. I am wondering why.
Maybe I will use an example. The Department of Renewable Resources told me in this House that the office/warehouse complex was approved by FMB to be delayed this year. Now I am just wondering why that particular project did not come in as a negative supp under Renewable Resources capital.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Mr. Pollard.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, at the time the capital budget was put together, there were a known number of projects that had not been started or had suffered delays through some setback or other. Those were included first of all in the capital budget, Bill 14, and also they were included in the supp. There were some $14 million, and it may be higher by now because it will not be until the year end that we know other capital projects that did not proceed. One of those projects in that $14 million was the project that Mr. Zoe is referring to, and the options on that $14 million worth of projects would be a special warrant or supp or to be included in next year's capital budget. I would venture to suggest that the reason it is not showing in the supp is that we did not know about it at the time we closed off the budget or we closed off the supp. But it is in that $14 million, that is probably going to be higher than that, that we know our projects that are destined for this year that were not started or suffered some other delay.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Mr. Zoe.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, I do not quite understand what the government is saying, because they knew in November, before this supp 3 document was put together, that FMB, Financial Management Board, approved to delay this project. That is what the Minister of Renewable Resources indicated to us in this House in early November when they assessed all capital projects, when we knew we were having financial problems. That is four or five months. They had ample time to put it in as a negative supp. Or did they put this supp together -- only the capital projects that are going to be forwarded in 1992-93, are those the only projects they included in this supp? Because if you look at all capital projects, all the negative supps coming in, there is always a note that says these projects have been included in the department's 1992-93 capital estimates. What about the ones that we know have not gone ahead, which were approved by FMB to be delayed? Where do they show up?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Mr. Pollard.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, FMB does not approve delays. FMB reacts to departments putting projects forward or making suggestions of a financial nature. So we analyze it through financial information systems and make comments and suggestions to FMB. As I say, when departments came forward, we were asking them for the number of projects that were not started at a particular point in time. Those ones are reflected in a supp and also mostly reflected in the capital budget that you have seen go through the House.
The project that Mr. Zoe is talking about is caught up in the $14 million that is still incomplete capital projects, and it can come forward as a special warrant; it can come forward as a supp; it could come forward in next year's capital budget. I have no idea what Renewable Resources intends to do with that project.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Mr. Zoe.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, the Minister indicated he has no idea what Renewable Resources is going to do, but the money is going to lapse by tomorrow night, March 31st, $400,000, pertaining to that particular one. Now it will come in as a negative supp under supp 4, but that does not mean it is going to be lapsed money. If the Minister decides to go ahead with it or at some point he has to make a decision if he is going to go ahead with it, in 1992-93 or 1993-94, when does the government usually make a decision with regard to capital, ones that are with lapsed money or projects that are going to be carried forward?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Just prior to proceeding, I want to indicate to the honourable Member that the questions you are asking are of general detail and not specific to capital, Education. I have not called the final numbers for the Department of Education yet. We have not agreed yet. I called that and you wanted the floor so I gave you the floor. However, if the Minister wants to answer prior to my calling the total vote for the Department of Education's capital, he may. Mr. Pollard.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, I have said in this House on a number of occasions that the government will live up to its commitments. In the call letter that I wrote to all Ministers with regard to next year's capital budget, which now includes multiyear targeting over three years so that departments know what they can spend in each of the next three years, it was pointed out to departments that they should take into consideration those capital projects that were in the $14 million and probably more that were left over from previous years. I have indicated to departments to pay attention to those projects that are incomplete as of this year. That includes the project that Mr. Zoe is talking about. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Total Capital, Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Total department, $5,265,000, surplus. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
That concludes the detail. Mr. Zoe.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 530
Henry Zoe North Slave
Before you conclude the detail of supp No. 3, Mr. Chairman, I do not think the Minister answered me. When does the government make decisions with regard to all the
capital projects that are carried over and have not gone ahead?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Mr. Pollard.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, as I pointed out in the letter, I said they should pay attention to those capital projects that are incomplete or not started this year for some reason. It includes the project that Mr. Zoe is talking about. We will not know until May, when the capital budget is brought back to us by the departments and we start to assemble the total budget, Mr. Chairman, how many of those projects they have been able to address. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Does the committee wish to go to detail and clause by clause review of Bill 25?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Clause 1, application. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 531
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Clause 2, supplementary appropriation. Agreed?