Thank you, Madam Chair. Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2004-2005 requests authority for additional appropriations of $14,349,528 for operations expenditures and $29.150 million for capital investment expenditures.
Major items included in this request for operations expenditures are as follows:
- $2 million for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for increased contribution funding to divisional education councils and the Yellowknife district education authorities for forced growth expenditures in school programs.
- $1.4 million for the Department of Health and Social Services for the additional costs associated with the new four-year contracts with general practitioners and specialist physicians.
- $950,000 for the Department of Health and Social Services for the continuation of community demonstration projects that were started in 2003-2004 as part of the GNWT's response to the social agenda.
- $877,000 for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for the continuation of the language nests component of the early childhood development action plan.
- $850,000 for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development to establish a Mackenzie Valley pipeline office.
- $825,000 for the departments of Finance; Municipal and Community Affairs; Education, Culture and Employment; and Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development for activities impacted by recent resource development in the NWT.
The operational funding request also includes $5.5 million for contribution funding for the continuation of infrastructure projects not completed in the 2003-2004 fiscal period. Funding for these projects was approved and lapsed in 2003-2004.
The operations funding requests are within the 2004-2005 supplementary reserve of $20 million.
The major request for capital investment expenditures is $28 million in capital carryovers from the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
Madam Chair, I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary appropriation document. Thank you.