Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, Supplementary Appropriation, No. 3 requests authority for operations expenditure appropriations of $6,429,136 and capital investment appropriations of $997,000. These requirements are within the estimated supplementary reserves.
Major items included in the operations expenditure request are as follows:
- $1.3 million for the salary and benefit increases resulting from the collective agreement between the NWTTA and the GNWT;
- $879,000 for the increase in southern placements of children and adults in care;
- A total of $685,000 for the establishment of two special committees of the Legislative Assembly;
- $421,000 for community governments and local housing associations for increases to the Northern Employee Benefits Services Pension Plan; and
- $994,000 for grants-in-kind associated with the donation of staff houses to communities and band councils.
Also included in the operations expenditures is a reduction of $1.1 million in previously approved funding for expenditures in support of the commercial vehicle trip permit fee.
The request for additional capital expenditures includes $1.1 million for the Department of Transportation for the Mackenzie Winter Road Bridge Acceleration Program. This amount will be financed by advancing the current approved cash flow for the program.
Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary appropriation requests. Thank you.