Yes, I would, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present the 2013-2014 estimates for the Legislative Assembly. The Board of Management is seeking an operations expenditures appropriation of $18.239 million, a slight decrease from the 2012-2013 estimates.

This Assembly continues to improve its broadcasting system. This week we are conducting live broadcasts of public hearings held in Committee Room “A” by standing committees. In April the Assemblies of Nunavut and Northwest Territories will make a joint submission to the CRTC to designate our respective broadcasts a “must carry” on direct to home satellite television services in Canada’s North. The Legislative Assembly is the most important symbol of public government in the Northwest Territories. If this is to continue, we must not only keep doing relevant and important work, but we must be seen to be doing such work. Our broadcast system is at the centre of our efforts in this regard.

Colleagues, I want to advise Members that we are continuing to make improvements to our Page Program. In addition to ensuring that we are served by Pages from throughout our territory, we are taking steps to ensure they continue to be safe and well supervised while they are in the capital. The Pages that serve us in this House do very good work for us and I thank them all for this.

Colleagues, this year will mark the 20

th anniversary

of the official opening of our Legislative Building. This fall will also mark the repayment of our mortgage to the Legislative Assembly Building Society. We are planning a “mortgage burning” ceremony to celebrate this milestone and the fact that we will no longer be tenants in our own Legislature. In addition to other celebrations of our history, we plan to unveil portraits of all the Premiers who have served the people of the

Northwest Territories. These portraits will form part of the permanent display in our Legislature.

Colleagues, this budget provides funding for the independent commission to review Members’ compensation and allowances which must be struck and report to the House next year.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This concludes my opening remarks. I am pleased to respond to any questions Members may have.

Thank you, Speaker Jacobson. Would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I would.

Does committee agree?

Thank you. I’d like to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to bring the witnesses to the table.

Speaker Jacobson, for the record, would you please introduce your witnesses.

Madam Chair, to my right I have Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, and to my left I have Mr. Darrin Ouellette, director of corporate services.

Thank you, Speaker Jacobson. General comments.

Detail. We’ll stand down page 1-7 and come back to that at the end. Legislative Assembly, infrastructure investment summary, information item.

Page 1-9, Legislative Assembly, revenue summary, information item. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome, Mr. Speaker, and Board of Management. Just a clarification, I’m looking at the amortization of capital contributions. We had a $1,000 in 2011-2012, nothing in 2012-13 and we see the $1,000 return in the main estimates. I know it’s a small number, but it’s more the pattern of activity. Can we get an explanation of that amortization of capital?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Ouellette.

Thank you. Page 1-9, Legislative Assembly, revenue summary, information item.

Thank you. Moving on to page 1-10, Legislative Assembly, active position summary, information item.

Page 1-13, Legislative Assembly, activity summary, Office of the Clerk, operations expenditure summary, $7.738 million.

Thank you. Page 1-14, Legislative Assembly, information item, Office of the Clerk, active positions.

Page 1-17, Legislative Assembly, activity summary, Office of the Speaker, operations expenditure summary, $338,000.

Thank you. Legislative Assembly, information item, Office of the Speaker, active positions.

Thank you. Page 1-21, Legislative Assembly, activity summary, expenditures on behalf of Members, operations expenditure summary, $7.934 million.

Agreed. Thank you. Moving on to page 1-23, Legislative Assembly, activity summary, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, operations expenditure summary, $626,000.

Agreed. Thank you. Page 1-24, Legislative Assembly, information item, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, active positions.

Agreed. Thank you. Page 1-27, Legislative Assembly, activity summary, statutory officers, operations expenditure summary, $1.603 million.

Legislative Assembly, activity summary, statutory officers, grants and contributions, contributions, $250,000.

Agreed. Thank you. Page 1-29, Legislative Assembly, information item, statutory officers, active positions.

Agreed. Thank you. Returning then, please, to page 1-7, Legislative Assembly, department summary, operations expenditure summary.

Agreed. Thank you. Does committee agree that that concludes our consideration of the budget for the main estimates of the Legislative Assembly?

Agreed. Thank you, Speaker Jacobson. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if he would please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

I’d like to ask, what is the wish of the committee? Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Over the last few weeks, Members of the Legislative Assembly have been working hard on reviewing the departmental budgets for the 2013-14 fiscal year. This review started with the review of the departmental 2013-14 business plans last September and consideration of the 2013-14 Main Estimates in Committee of the Whole during the current session.

As part of their review, Members of his House have recommended amendments to the 2013-14 Main Estimates:

With respect to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment:

1. $600,000 to increase funding identified for the

tourism industry for increased investment in tourism marketing activities.

2. A transfer of $100,000 identified for energy

policy initiatives to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to increase funding to the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program.

With respect to the Department of Health and Social Services:

1. An additional $330,000 to establish midwifery

services in Hay River. The total amount to be allocated in 2013-14 for this initiative is $470,000. The remaining $140,000 will be re-profiled funding identified for the territorial midwifery clinical coordinator position.

2. $1.670 million to increase funding for prevention

and promotion activities. The government will consult with the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the allocation of this funding.

I will follow through with these commitments in the Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2013-14, which will be introduced into this House within the next few days. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Mr. Menicoche.

I’m sorry, Mr. Menicoche. From the notes that I was following along with for the budget commitments that Mr. Miltenberger read, I think there were a couple of items that were missing. Could we have agreement that we would allow Mr. Miltenberger to go back to ensure that we do have the full and comprehensive list of changes? Is committee agreed?

Great. Thank you. I think the two that were missing was with respect to ITI. I believe that those were not read out, if I am not mistaken. Was that read out? Okay, then which ones were missing? Mr. Miltenberger, if you could start with respect to the departments and just go through them again. I’m sorry; I thought there were two items missing.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Once again I apologize for double-siding my speech.

With respect to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources:

1. $100,000 to increase funding to the Energy

Efficiency Incentive Program. This increase will be funded through the transfer of $100,000 from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

2. $400,000 to implement a program to replace

electric hot water heaters with fuel-fired hot water heaters in communities that depend on thermal generation for electricity.

---Applause

Order!

For further clarity, with respect to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment:

1. $600,000 to increase funding identified for the

tourism industry for increased investment in tourism marketing activities.

2. A transfer of $100,000 identified for energy

policy initiatives to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to increase funding to the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program.

With respect to the Department of Health and Social Services:

1. An additional $330,000 to establish midwifery

services in Hay River. The total amount to be

allocated in 2013-2014 for this initiative is $470,000. The remaining $140,000 will be re-profiled funding identified for the territorial midwifery clinical coordinator position.

2. $1.670 million to increase funding for prevention

and promotion activities. The government will consult with the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the allocation of this funding.

I will follow through with these commitments in the Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2013-2014, which will be introduced into this House within the next few days.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. We will be sure now we have all of that on the record. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just want to recognize all the Members on this side of the House that work so diligently to make an impact on this budget, and I also thank our Cabinet colleagues who were able to achieve what we feel is an improvement to our NWT budget for the benefit of all our constituents in the Northwest Territories. We look forward to working with the government as they implement the budget over the next year.