Total departments, special warrants, $4.3 million.
Debates of March 29th, 1995
Topics
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 702
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 702
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
---Agreed
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 702
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 702
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
---Agreed Department Of Social Services
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
The Chair Tony Whitford
Thank you. That concludes Health. Page 16, Social Services, operations and maintenance. The chair recognizes the Member for Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 16, the special warrant, it's made up of $2.229 million for a social assistance program. Could the Minister advise why the need for this additional funding?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, there were additional costs to us in the social assistance program. There's a greater uptake of social assistance by people in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If memory serves me right, again this is another example of where SCOF had bad information when they were considering this. If memory serves me right, our books at that time said that this had been approved in the 1994-95 budget for $7.035 million. And in the 1995-96 estimates, if I recall correctly, if is $6.993 million. Whereas, in fact, Mr. Chairman, with this special warrant, the actual cost in 1994-95 is $9.264 million. My question to the Minister is what does he know that the rest of us don't about the economy in the north that we're going to see less uptake in the year 1995-96 than we did in 1994-95?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, can I just ask Mr. Dent to repeat those numbers and tell me where he's getting them from, please?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
The Chair Tony Whitford
Thank you, Minister Pollard. Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, where did you get the numbers?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, it would be better for me to handle this the same way that we did with health and hospital boards. Could I ask the Minister, under social assistance under the current year, how much was approved under the task social assistance for the current year of 1994-95?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, it came through in the main estimates as $28.905 million, revised forecast now is $31.744 million. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What is the 1995-96 estimate in the main estimates?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
John Pollard Hay River
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the House approves this particular number of $2.019 million that's before us right now, the revised forecast of 1994-95 number that I've just quoted you, which is presently $31.744 million will rise by that particular amount. So it will be $33 million. That's if the House approves the supp.
To answer the question specifically, in 1995-96 there is $31.244 million budgeted in this particular area, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My figures weren't quite the same, but my question still stands. We're budgeting less in 1995-96 than what was expended in 1994-95, so my question is what makes the Minister believe that there won't be as much uptake in 1995-96 as there was in 1994-95?
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703
John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, I think the department has received a base adjustment now. They've claimed to be short for a number of years, and they will be tightening up in this particular area. I'm sure that when their budget comes before the House they'll point out the areas in which they're tightening up to prevent the spiral of this dollar value upwards. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 21: Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 703