Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the committee of infrastructure has many departments under it: FMBS, Personnel Executive, Aboriginal Affairs, as well as DPW and MACA. Yesterday, while the Minister mentioned that I was not in the House, I was actually attending a meeting with the SAO for my community during question period. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Legislative Assembly that the Standing Committee on Infrastructure has reviewed Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act and wishes to...

I would like to remind the Members that the items on the table are for the House to follow. The Member went beyond what was written on the orders. It is to report the review of a bill. I would like to ask the Members to follow those

orders that are there. We are on item 12, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Legislative Assembly that the Standing Committee on Infrastructure has reviewed Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act and wishes to report that Bill 20 is now ready for consideration in committee of the whole. Mr. Speaker, I would seek unanimous consent of the House to waive rule 70(5) and have the bill ordered into the committee of the whole for today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The Member for Iqaluit is seeking unanimous consent to waive rule 70(5). Do we have any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent and accordingly Bill 20 is put in committee of the whole for today. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 13, tabling of documents. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. Tabling of documents. Item 14, notices of motion. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 17, 1997, I will move the following motion: NOW THEREFORE, I MOVE seconded by the Member for Keewatin Central that Tabled Document entitled Government of the NWT Interim Financial Report for the Year Ended March 31, 1997, be moved into committee of the whole for consideration.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Notices of motion. Item 15, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 16, motions. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with my motion to table the document entitled, Government of the NWT Interim Financial Report for the Year Ended March 31, 1997, today.

Thank you. The Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion on Tabled Document 113-13(4). Do we have any nays? There are no nays. Mr. Erasmus, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Speaker, in accordance with section 4(2) of the Deficit Elimination Act tabled the Interim Financial Report for the Year Ended March 31, 1997;

AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly shall consider the Interim Public Accounts in accordance with section 5(1) of the Deficit Elimination Act;

NOW THEREFORE, I MOVE seconded by the Member for Keewatin Central, that Tabled Document 113-13(4) entitled, Government of the NWT Interim Financial Report for the Year Ended March 31, 1997, be moved into committee of the whole for consideration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Motions. Item 17, first reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. Your motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 25 has had first reading. First reading of bills. Item 18, second reading of bills. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by my honourable colleague from Yellowknife Frame Lake that Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1997-98, be read for the second time. Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Act to make supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998. Thank you.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Bill 25 has had second reading and accordingly stands ordered to the committee of the whole. Second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters. Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1997-98 Tabled Document 108-13(4), Tabled Document 110-13(4), Tabled Document 113-13(4) with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

Absolutely, Madam Chair. Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2 requests authority for additional appropriations of $16,185,000 made up of $5,494,000 for operations and maintenance expenditures and $10,691,000 for capital expenditures. A number of interdepartmental transfers are also included in this supplementary appropriation which do not require additional funding. The additional appropriations have been provided for in the estimated supplementary appropriation requirements included the 1997-98 main estimates or will be funded out of a new revenue source.

The appropriate requirements include $7,998,000 for capital projects carried over from the 1996-97 year. These funds were lapsed in the 1996-97 fiscal period; $1,578,000 for incremental costs associated with collective bargaining and dealing with the pay equity issue; $1,299,000 for contributions under the Western Harvesters Assistance Program; $3,108,400 to replace and repair facilities damaged by fire, including the Pangnirtung High School, Fort Resolution firehall, several subsidiary businesses of the Northwest Territories Development Corporation, the Arctic Red River Ferry Camp and the Uttaqivik Centre Correctional Facility in Iqaluit. These fires are offset by insurance recoveries, less the deductible under the government insurance policy. The balance of requirements include approximately $4,354,400 which will be directly offset by additional revenues. Thank you, Madam Chair. I am prepared to review the details of the Supplementary Appropriation Document, if you so wish.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On behalf of the Standing Committee on Government Operations, it is my pleasure to provide our report on our review of the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1997-98. The committee met with the Minister on Tuesday, October 14, 1997 to review the proposed bill. The committee's review of the appropriation focused on five major areas:

1. Funding transferred between the departments or within departmental budgets, the majority to be attributed to the user pay/user say initiative.

2. Monies for capital projects that had lapsed in the 1996/97, fiscal year and were carried over to the 1997-98 fiscal year.

3. Funding for collective bargaining and pay equity issue.

4. Funding for government contributions to the Western Harvesters Assistance Program; and finally,

5. Funds identified to replace facilities damaged by fire while awaiting the settlement of insurance claims.

Some concerns were raised by Members of the committee about funding for the Government of Northwest Territories' Communications Strategy and the $1.5 million to be spent in an attempt to resolve the pay equity issue. Members were also concerned that the Minister and his staff monitor the federal contributions to offset the cost of the runway extension at Deline and for the operation and maintenance of the forward operating location in Rankin Inlet to ensure full recovery of the funding expended on these programs.

The committee was generally satisfied with the explanations provided by the Minister when he was questioned. Any additional questions on supplementary appropriations that the Members may have will be addressed by the individual Members. Madam Chair, this concludes the Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation, No. 2, 1997-98. Thank you.