Thank you, Madam Chair and colleagues. I am pleased to introduce Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2006-2007. This bill requests authority for additional appropriations of $69.246 million for operations expenditures and $45.411 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2006-2007 fiscal year.
Major items included in this request for operations expenditures are as follows:
- $33.4 million for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to continue to flow contribution funding to community governments pursuant to the community capacity building initiative. These contributions are funded by the federal government's Northern Strategy trust fund. Funding for these contributions was approved and lapsed in 2005-2006.
- $3.5 million for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for the provision of French and aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories. The expenditures will be offset by revenues from the federal government.
- $3.0 million for the Department of Public Works and Services to undertake pile inspections and repairs on Government of the Northwest Territories buildings.
- $2.2 million for increased costs resulting from the rise in fuel prices in the NWT since 2003.
- $1.9 million for increases to the northern allowance as provided for in the Collective Agreement between the GNWT and the Union of Northern Workers.
The operational funding request also includes $15.3 million for contribution funding for the continuation of infrastructure projects not completed in the 2005-2006 fiscal period. Funding for these projects was approved and lapsed in 2005-2006.
The major request for capital investments expenditures is $40.3 million in capital carryovers from the 2005-2006 fiscal year.
That concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Thank you, Madam Chair.