Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 1, 2008–2009, requests authority for additional appropriations of $50.317 million for operations expenditures and $106.345 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2008–2009 fiscal year.
To clarify the contents of the bill, the $48.4 million of operation expenditure appropriations includes $15.6 million offset by federal revenues and $32
million for contribution funding for the continuation of community infrastructure projects not completed in the 2007–2008 fiscal period. Funding for these projects was approved and lapsed in 2007–2008.
The $106.1 million for capital investment expenditures includes $11.1 million offset by federal revenues and $95 million in capital carry-overs from the 2007–2008 fiscal period. Major items included in this request for operations expenditures, other than carry-overs, include items that are part of the Building Canada Plan, $11.8 million for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for additional contribution funding to community governments for community infrastructure, and $3 million for the Department of Transportation to advance the Yellowknife bypass road.
This is the second year in which the Government of the Northwest Territories has requested a significant amount of carry-over funding from the previous year. I’m confident the changes being implemented to the capital planning process will help lower future requests.
The bill includes changes discussed with Members in response to committee motions during the departmental reviews of the Main Estimates.
That concludes my opening remarks, and I’m prepared to answer questions Members may have.