Total department, not previously authorized, $2,000.

Executive, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized, $9.755 million. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s a pleasure to see you in that position today. My question has to deal with this not previously authorized in the directorate for $9.755 million. I found that number to be a bit of a shocker, given the fact that this is a supplementary estimate. These are supposed to be monies not previously deemed in the main estimate program.

My first question has to do with the fact that the Devolution AIP identified $26.5 million, or almost $27 million to offset any implementation costs of the Devolution Final Agreement. If I can get maybe an explanation as to what is the cash flow in representing of the money that we received from the Government of Canada, and vis-à-vis this current ask today.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Aumond.

I appreciate the deputy minister’s clarification on the subject. My question more has to do with the realities that supplementary appropriations should be minimal, at best. These are gap-fill measures to keep us by or to consider maybe some unforeseen spending in any one department.

Given the fact that we’ve seen devolution on the forefront – it’s been through our windshield now for quite a while – I was, again, quite shocked to see the largeness of that number, given the fact that almost half of this supplementary appropriation has to do with that one line entry.

My question is: Did we not see this coming? Was this something that we could not have forecasted within the regular process of the current process of budgeting, and why are we seeing this in a supplementary fashion?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We did have the foresight to anticipate this broad cost, the global figure of almost $27 million. We’ve been on a one-of-a-kind process here that we’ve been negotiating with the federal government. There’s been an enormous amount of work done. Some things didn’t move as fast as we anticipated with the negotiations. We are now, as was indicated today in the House by the Premier when he indicated we’re giving notice of motion that we’re going to have the motion on devolution with the agreement before the House, so this is a one-time occurrence and it’s been moved as fast as we could move it. We’ve budgeted as well as we could. There were some things we didn’t control, and hence, we are back before the House with the funding request and the lapses that we want to put to good use.

Again, all very good, prescriptive responses, and I’m not going to disagree. I think this money is being spent in a proper fashion. My question is, again, the large figure that we’re seeing in the supplementary. So if I can get maybe, I don’t need a detailed breakdown, but what are some of the high points within that $9.7 million that would be deemed something we did not see coming? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, one of the biggest numbers, of course, is we are carrying over money because we did hit some delays last year with the process. We anticipated that we would be farther along at that point and we weren’t, so we carried over that amount of money. We’ve been doing an enormous amount of work

with the federal government, trying to get the numbers as they pertain to all the different budgets, all the positions here and in Ottawa, the legislative requirements, doing the work on the negotiations on waste sites. There has been an enormous amount of work done there, trying to first make sure we had a comprehensive list, the type of the waste sites, the detail of the work there, the work on water and the discussions there, the work on the MVRMA, and the delegation of those authorities. Across the board, as you will see when you look at the packages that you have with the agreement of 390-some pages of negotiated agreement and attachments, that that is where all that money has been spent and will be spent along the implementation side. Thank you.

I do appreciate the forensic reply here. Again, my question is not to second guess where the money is being spent. I think that is a given. I think the facts are there. We heard from the deputy minister that we received just over $4 million of monies to offset, and again, as the note said here, that net effect on government operations will be nil. My concern is that we are now adding money on our side of the fence to top this up.

When do we anticipate to receive the full value of this $26.5 million? Will it be in our hands prior to the April 1, 2014, so-called launch date? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, the money will be flowing once the deal is officially signed, sometime in the coming weeks. After that point all the money will flow. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, just so I’m clear, all the money will flow. Is that what I read into that, that all $26.5 million will be in our hands before April 1, 2014?

All the money that we haven’t already been given will flow at that point, yes. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I guess I just want to get clarification. Will the full amount of $26.5 million be in our corporate coffers or our government coffers from the Government of Canada by April 1, 2014?

That is what is anticipated, yes.

I have no further questions.

Does committee agree?

Directorate, not previously authorized, $9.755 million. Agreed?

Executive, operations, not previously authorized, $4,000. Agreed?