Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Antoine.
Debates of March 23rd, 2000
This is page numbers 235 - 268 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 262
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 262
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have been reviewing that, and there is going to be a reduction between five and seven percent. Thank you.
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 262
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 262
Charles Dent Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is not identified. As we understood from the Minister of Finance, this budget did not have any reductions in it. I am just a little confused here by the Minister's comment that there is a reduction in this. Could the Minister advise what the dollar figure is for that reduction?
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 262
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 262
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was an overall capital reduction through this government up to about $10 million. We had to look at the tax-based municipalities. The formula for the block funding included capital expenditures that were slated for these communities. It was spread over.
For the total package, I understand there to be a five to seven percent reduction. The total reduction will be $700,000 for the five communities. Thank you.
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Charles Dent Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister advise whether or not this reduction is equal across the board, in terms of percentages for all five communities? Do the communities know?
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The communities are not yet aware of it. We are waiting for the approval of this budget before we notify them.
We did advise them in letter form earlier, where we indicated to them the amount of funding that is out there intended for the block funding arrangement is similar to what they had previously, until we do a review. We are at the tail end of the municipal financial review, which we hope to have concluded by August. We indicated in the letter that there may be a reduction subject to the total budget reductions.
They are aware that if there are reductions in any area, such as the $10 million the Finance Minister indicated, that they will be affected. They are aware there is a possibility of reduction. With the Finance Minister making it public that there is a reduction of $10 million, they are indirectly aware that there are going to be some reductions in their budget.
As soon as we can, hopefully upon approval of this budget, the deputy minister will contact them and explain the process to them. Thank you,
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Charles Dent Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The one part of my previous question the Minister did not address was whether or not this was across the board. Are each of the five communities affected proportionately? Are they all going to be down five percent or seven percent, whatever it works out to, so everybody is taking a proportionate share of the cut?
I am not sure if all communities are block-funded under operations and maintenance and capital, so does it have an equal effect on all five communities?
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Yes, our intention is to do that. We are going to be applying the cuts evenly across the board. I know there are concerns out there from different communities that are anomalies. However, we will try to work with each one of them and get some understanding with each community on the base cuts.
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is under capital, page 1 of 4, it is a $195,000 item. It is a fire truck replacement for Deline. I asked a question in the committee review on when this vehicle will be delivered to the community of Deline. The answer I received was possibly January of next year.
I am wondering why it is in an interim appropriation when it could have been put in the main estimates when we review that in June, because the only method of getting this vehicle into Deline is to take it over the winter road. Everybody knows the winter road is not usually constructed until December or January.
I would like to ask the Minster if his department has taken that into consideration, after it was raised in the committee meetings?
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with this particular item here, I understand what the honourable Member is saying, that Deline is only accessible by winter road and perhaps we could wait until after the interim appropriation. I think that was the suggestion.
However, it is a contract that we have to put out and it is going to have to be built to specifications. Sometimes it takes longer than others to build the unit. Therefore the reason for having it in the interim appropriation is that it is a contract we have to let, and the length of time it may take to build is taken into consideration. To be safe, we try to give it as much lead time as possible. That is the reason why it is in the interim appropriation.
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr, Chairman, as you can see by the note, it says the purchase of equipment required in the month of June. That is when we are going to be doing the main estimates in this House. It is not going to be purchased until then. Realistically, it can make it into the main estimates.
That is the point I am trying to make. It is because of the date it has to be purchased and also the time it is going to take where it is going to be sitting in Hay River until the winter road opens. We are talking some seven months from the time it is constructed to the time it is delivered.
I do not know where you are getting this vehicle made, but is that not enough time for it to be constructed and delivered?
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The intention here was to have the unit built and shipped by barge to Tulita or Norman Wells, and held there until the winter road was open. That was the reason behind the planning. Thank you.
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 263
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That was not what we were told in committee. We were told it was going to be brought in by the ice road. I am not too sure where this information came from, but it seems like it has just been made apparent now.
When I asked the question as to how the vehicle would be delivered in the committee meeting, they said that they were going to bring it in by the ice road. I am wondering when did they change the decision? It was clearly stated in committee that it was going to be brought in by the ice road.
Funding For Capital Projects
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 264