Bill 17 is now ready for third reading. The next bill on our list is Bill 20, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2000-2001. At this time, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the bill if he has any comments. Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 requests authority for additional appropriations of $11,959,822 for operations expenditures and $3,332,000 for capital investment expenditures.

The total for operations expenditures exceeds the amount included in Bill 20, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2000-2001 by $650,000. Mr. Chairman, I will be introducing a motion to amend the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2000-2001. The additional amounts include:

1. $450,000 to fund Workers' Compensation premiums, for the year 2000, for hunters and trappers.
2. $200,000 to fund the recently announced enhancements to the Fuel Rebate Program.

The total requirements are within the estimated supplementary reserves established in the budget.

The operations expenditures supplementary appropriation requirements include the following major items:

1. $7.4 million for the departments to fund the additional expenses to be incurred in the current year as a result of finalizing a collective agreement between the GNWT and the Union of Northern Workers. The application of the collective agreement applies to unionized employees, non-unionized employees, managers, MLAs and Ministers.

These expenditures were financed using a special warrant. A special warrant was required because the GNWT wanted to make payment to employees as soon as possible. The departments had insufficient appropriations for the payments and the Legislative Assembly was not sitting for approximately a month.

2. The cost of petroleum fuels has increased drastically in the last year. As a result many Northwest Territories residents (households and businesses) are facing financial hardship. A total of $2.7 million is therefore being requested to assist Northwest Territories residents to cope with the economic difficulties arising from fuel price increases as follows:

• • $1.1 million for the Financial Management Board Secretariat to provide funding for forced growth in expenditures in the Power Subsidy Program. The Power Subsidy Program provides assistance to domestic and commercial consumers of electricity who pay for their own electricity and reside in high-cost areas.
• • $230,000 for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for funding to community governments to help offset the increases in their operating requirements that resulted from fuel price increases.
• • $1.6 million for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation and the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development for the implementation of a Fuel Rebate Program for qualified Northwest Territories households, including home renters and renewable resource harvesters who had harvested at least $500 worth of fur in either the 1999-2000 or 2000-2001 trapping season. This amount includes the additional $200,000 to be included in the motion to amend the Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2.

3. $300,000 for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to fund the extraordinary costs the hamlet of Fort McPherson is incurring In operating its water treatment plant. These costs include additional testing required to address water quality concerns and maintenance issues such as frozen water lines and recharging the water source.

The authorization for capital investment expenditures includes $3.1 million from the Department of Transportation to accelerate the bridge building program on the Mackenzie Valley winter road. The total two-year project costs are estimated to be $6.6 million. The federal government has committed to providing $3.8 million in funding over the two years.

Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary appropriation document. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Minister, will you be bringing in any witnesses?

Yes, if they are here. Thank you.

Does the committee agree?

Sergeant-at-Arms, could you escort the witnesses in. For the record, could you please introduce your witness?

Mr. Chairman, with me is Lew Voytilla, secretary to the Financial Management Board.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome, witness. General comments on the bill. General comments. Detail. Page 5, Bill 20, Legislative Assembly, operations expense, office of the Clerk, special warrant, $57,000, not previously authorized, $19,000. Agreed?

Office of the Speaker, special warrant, $2,000. Agreed?

Expenditures on behalf of others, special warrant, $59,000. Agreed?

Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, $7,000, special warrant. Agreed?

Commissioner of Official Languages, special warrant, $3,000. Agreed?

Total department, special warrant, $128,000, not previously authorized, $19,000. Agreed?

Executive, operations expense, executive office, cabinet secretariat, special warrant, $196,000. Agreed?

Not previously authorized, $200,000. Agreed?