In accordance with section 21(3) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I hereby table amendments to section C of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act indemnities and allowances.

Pursuant to section 35(a) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the Annual Report Respecting Members' Indemnities and Allowances for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2007.

Pursuant to section 35(b) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the Annual Report Respecting Capital Accommodation Expenses for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2007.

Pursuant to section 35(c) of the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, I wish to table the Annual Report Respecting Members' Constituency Expenses for the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2007.

Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 14, 2007, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the government immediately undertake a comprehensive review of the Territorial Power Subsidy Program, including a comparison of power consumption levels in the various regions and different months of the year, in examination of the option of setting an annual maximum subsidy consumption level as opposed to the monthly maximum to identify changes to the program to ensure that power is affordable to all residents and small businesses in all the NWT communities throughout the year while maintaining an incentive for residents and small businesses to limit their non-essential power consumption; and further that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the government report back to the appropriate standing committee of the 16th Legislative Assembly as early as possible in that Assembly's term of office; and furthermore that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the government direct the NWT Power Corporation and Northland Utilities, Yellowknife, Limited, to develop an initiative to provide user-friendly real-time in-home meters which will allow residential customers to monitor and, where appropriate, reduce their power consumption. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Notices of motion. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 14, 2007, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly strongly urges the Government of the Northwest Territories to implement criminal records checks at least every year for all public service employees who have contact with children, youth and other vulnerable persons; and further that the government direct all its boards and agencies to adopt policies for criminal records checks of all volunteers who have contact with children, youth and other vulnerable persons; and furthermore that the government make it a condition of all contribution agreements that the recipient organizations implement criminal records checks for their staff and volunteers who have contact with children, youth and other vulnerable persons; and furthermore that this Legislative Assembly strongly urges the private and non-governmental sectors to adopt similar criminal records check procedures for their staff and volunteers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Motions. First reading of bills. Honourable Member of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 8 has had first reading.

First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 8, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2007-2008, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Motion is on the floor. Motion is in order. To the principle of the bill.

Question is being called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Bill 8 has had second reading and is referred to Committee of the Whole.

Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 8, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee today, Mr. Lafferty?

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the committee wishes to consider Bill 8, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2007-2008. Mahsi.

Agreed, thank you. We'll do that right after a short break.

---SHORT RECESS

Okay. I'd like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Order. Bill 8, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2007-2008. I would like to ask Minister Roland if he would like to provide his opening remarks.

Yes, Madam Chair. Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2007-2008 requests authority for additional appropriations of $58.169 million for operations expenditures and $78.898 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

The request for operations expenditures includes $14.037 million for investments in new initiatives for priorities identified during the 2007-2010 business planning process. Major items include:

• • $5.5 million to support initiatives identified in the GNWT energy plan and Greenhouse Gas Strategy. Of this amount, $2.4 million will be funded from the federal government's eco-Trust for clean air and climate change;
• • $3.7 million for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to implement the redesign of the Income Security Program;
• • $1 million for the Department of Health and Social Services to start the implementation of standardized foster care rates in the NWT;
• • $960,000 for the Department of Public Works and Services and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation to establish apprentices in the GNWT to help address the shortage of skilled tradespersons in the NWT;
• • $560,000 for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to support initiatives identified in "A Barren-Ground Caribou Management Strategy for the Northwest Territories 2006-2010;" and
• • $420,000 for the Department of Justice to provide policing services to the communities of Wrigley and Gameti.

Other items included in this request for operations expenditures are:

• • $3.8 million for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for the provision of French and aboriginal language services in the Northwest Territories. The expenditures will be fully offset by revenues from the GNWT;
• • $3.5 million for increases to the northern allowance rate as provided for in the Collective Agreement between the GNWT and the Union of Northern Workers; and
• • $3.3 million for the Department of Health and Social Services to provide contribution funding to the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority to fund $1.3 million of the authority's 2005-2006 accumulated deficit and $1 million of the authority's projected 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 operating deficits.

The operational funding request also includes $22.1 million for contribution funding for the continuation of infrastructure projects not completed in the 2006-2007 fiscal period. Funding for these projects was approved and lapsed in 2006-2007.

The major request for capital investment expenditures is $74.9 million in capital carry-overs from the 2006-2007 fiscal year.

That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. At this time I will ask Mr. Roland if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber for the review of the bill. Mr. Roland.

Yes, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Is the committee agreed?