Agreed. Thank you. We will commence with that agenda after a brief break.

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Committee, we’ve agreed to consider Tabled Document 134-17(4), Supplementary Appropriation (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014. I’d like to ask the Minister responsible, the honourable Mr. Miltenberger, if he has any opening remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014. This document provides for an increase of $275,000 for infrastructure investment expenditures in the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

The two items in this supplementary estimate include:

1. $100,000 to the Legislative Assembly for the

design, fabrication and installation of a prominent sign welcoming visitors to the Legislative Assembly in all official languages.

2. $175,000 to the Legislative Assembly for the

enhancement of the Water’s Edge Park to develop it into a multifunctional public park that can accommodate ceremonial and special events hosted by the Legislative Assembly.

I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary estimates document. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister. Would the Minister like to bring witnesses into the House?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. I’d like to ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me the deputy minister of Finance and the director of the Management Board Secretariat.

We’ll open up the floor for general comments on Tabled Document 134-17(4), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2013-2014. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It was my understanding that there was a lot more money transferred to the Legislative Assembly by, I’m not sure what we call it, the Board of Governance; I’ve forgotten what it is called, the name. Sorry, thank

you, the Building Fund. So the Building Fund, how much was fully forwarded to the Government of the Northwest Territories as an appropriation to the Building Fund? They wrote a cheque and I want to sort of start cross-referencing the number being spent or allocated today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was a cheque forwarded, or an amount forwarded of $400,000. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for that. So my next question to the Minister would be that perhaps my NWT math isn’t so good, but I’m noticing there’s a discrepancy between the $400,000 being committed here, or perhaps my NWT math is pretty good. It looks like there’s a variance between the money being allocated and that’s going forward to be spent. Where is the rest of the money, if there is outstanding money, that would have been linked to the $400,000?

There is a capital infrastructure component, which is currently before us. Then the remainder of the balance of the money will be accounted for in the O and M supp. Thank you.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister. The remainder balance, just to be clear on the record, because I’m not sure it’s an O and M supp question, I’d like to know officially how much that is allocated to and if the Minister could explain to me the policy by which the money was to be spent. Thank you.

There’s $125,000 that will be accounted for through the O and M supplementary appropriation and this has come forward to the legislative process through the Board of Management in terms of the money that was to be spent on infrastructure and the money that’s going to be spent to accommodate and pay forward the celebrations that are going to be taking place here on Friday and Saturday. Thank you.

I guess now begs the question are we not breaking the bylaws or the spirit and the intent as prescribed that the whole surplus money, if there was money, was to be spent on infrastructure? I can appreciate maybe some is spent into the concept of packaging the infrastructure, organizing and launching it et cetera, but it sounds like more than 25 percent of it is being allocated to O and M, which, if I heard the Minister correctly, the intent was to be directed at infrastructure. Maybe he could explain that. Thank you.

The Legislative Assembly Building Society’s bylaws state that any surplus is to be used for the benefit of the Legislative Assembly building and the Legislative

Assembly did receive legal advice from its Law Clerk that the wording of the society’s bylaws was broad enough to include all the planned projects for the surplus, including the celebration events. Thank you.

I will just say that I do not agree with that interpretation and that I hear the Minister that the legal opinion may say that, but it’s my interpretation that when the money is to benefit the building, it is intended to benefit the building, not to be a celebration, party, travel fees, whatever. So I would like to register my concern and certainly grievance on this issue. Members in this building will know this is not new, this is consistent from my earlier opinion on this and I think the additional $125,000 should not be wrapped up in plane tickets or parties or whatnot, and what the whatnot is should go to the benefit of the citizens through some type of legacy infrastructure. Thank you.

I note the Member’s concern and, of course, we’re here before this Assembly to seek approval for these expenditures. I look forward to the decision of the Assembly, but the Member has made his comments noted for the record and I’ll let it stand at that. Thank you.

Legislative Assembly, capital infrastructure, Office of the Clerk, not previously authorized, $275,000.