Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009 has had first reading.

Motion carried; Bill 1 read a first time.

Item 19, second reading of bills. Hon. Premier.

I move, seconded by the Hon. Member from Deh Cho, that Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the government of the Northwest Territories to make interim appropriations for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009, had had second reading and is referred to Committee of the Whole.

Motion carried; Bill 1 read a second time and

referred to Committee of the Whole.

Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Minister’s Statement 1-16(2), Minister’s Statement 9-16(2) and Bill 1 with Mr. Krutko in the chair.

I’d like to call the

Committee of the Whole to order. We have Minister’s Statement 1-16(2), Minister’s Statement 9-16(2), and Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. What is the wish of the committee, Mrs. Groenewegen?

Mr

. Chairman, your

committee

would like to consider Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009, in Committee of the Whole today.

Is the committee agreed?

Okay. We’ll take a short break, and we will begin with Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009.

The Committee of the Whole took a short

recess.

I call the Committee of the Whole back to order.

Prior to the break we decided to have the opening comments with regard to Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. So

with that, I’d like to ask the Minister if he has any opening comments.

Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009, requests authority for appropriations of $381.275 million for operational expenditures and $110.291 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2008-09 fiscal year.

This interim budget provides the necessary resources for the G.N.W.T. to operate for the first three months of the 2008-2009 fiscal year. The 2008-2009 main estimates will be presented during the May-June 2008 sitting of the Legislative Assembly and will include funding for the entire 2008-09 fiscal year.

The interim appropriation provides for only a portion of the full-year requirements for operational expenditures. The capital investment expenditures amount reflects the full-year requirements for those projects currently in construction or those projects that will need to be tendered at the start of the 2008-09 fiscal year in order to avoid construction delays.

The $381.275 million in operational expenditures represents 33 per cent of the total expenditures included in the 2007-08 main estimates. A number of departments are requesting funding that exceeds the average 33 per cent due to operational requirements and the need to put in place contracts for specific work at the beginning of a fiscal year. These departments include:

1) The Department of Municipal and Community

Affairs (MACA) requests an appropriation of $58.79 million, or 52 per cent of the 2007-08 main estimates amount, as MACA provides funding up front for regional operations in the first quarter of each fiscal year. This primarily represents the funding for community infrastructure contributions totalling $33.6 million, and contributions for community operations totalling $12.4 million.

2) The Department of Environment and Natural

Resources requests an appropriation of $27.2 million, or 49 per cent of the 2007-08 main estimates appropriation. At the beginning of the fiscal year, in anticipation that the fire season will start in early summer, the department puts in place contracts for fire suppression estimated at $11.5 million.

3) The Department of Public Works and Services

requests an appropriation of $20.25 million, or approximately 42 per cent of the 2007-08 main estimates appropriation. The department puts in place as-and-when contracts for building maintenance for the full year at the start of the fiscal year.

4) The Department of Finance is requesting $4.2

million, or 37 per cent of the 2007-08 main estimates appropriation in part to cover the costs of insurance and the contractual obligations put in place on behalf of the G.N.W.T. at the beginning of the fiscal year.

5) The Financial Management Board Secretariat

is requesting $20.5 million, or 29 per cent of the 2007-08 main estimates appropriation — $15.3 million of this amount is for the operating contribution to the NWT Housing Corporation.

As directed, departments were required to develop their 2008-09 interim appropriation requirements using the following parameters:

1) Funding is to be included only for the seven

pay periods that fall within the time frame of the interim appropriation.

2) Contribution funding is only to be included for

those recipients that require the funding within the time frame of the interim appropriation.

3) Other expenses should only include the

minimum requirement during the interim time frame. However, where it is absolutely necessary to enter into contracts for the full year, the full-year requirements have been included.

The interim operations expenditures appropriation does not include any new funding that has not been approved by the Legislative Assembly.

Due to the nature of capital projects, in particular the logistics of planning for labour and materials, as well as the need to complete a project once construction has begun, it was decided that the full-year requirements of the preliminary Capital Acquisition Plan would be presented as part of the interim appropriation.

The $110.291 million in capital investment expenditures represents a 4.7 per cent increase from the 2007-08 capital plan.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my opening remarks. I am prepared to review the details of the interim appropriation document and answer any questions Members may have.

I move that we report progress.

Motion carried.

We will now rise and report progress.

The House resumed.

May I have the report of the Committee of the Whole, please, Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Speaker, the committee has been considering Bill 1, Interim Appropriation Act, 2008-2009. I’m glad to report progress.

Mr. Speaker, I move the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Do we have a seconder? Mr. Beaulieu.

Motion carried.

Item 22, third reading of bills. Hon. Premier.

I move, seconded by the Hon.

Member for Thebacha, that Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2007-2008, be read for the third time.

Bill 2, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 2007-2008, has had third reading.

Motion carried; Bill 2 read a third time.

Item 23, Orders of the Day, Mr. Clerk.