Thank you. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.

Minister Miltenberger, for the record could you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me are Mr. Mike Aumond and Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar from Finance. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. General comments. No general comments. Does committee agree we’ll proceed to detail?

Thank you. If I could direct your attention, please, to page 3 of the document. Legislative Assembly, operations expenditures, Office of the Clerk, not previously authorized $24,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $24,000.

Agreed, thank you. Executive, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized $10.957 million. Total department, not previously authorized, $10.957 million. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to welcome the Minister and the Department of Finance here today.

This one, there needs probably a little bit more of a clarifier. I believe this is a residual amount from, I think, a pot of money that was around $26.5 million, which is part of the devolution implementation funding. I know that was chiselled down as we prepared for the Devolution Final Agreement.

So the question I have, there was supposed to be some fairly specific caveats where this money, in terms of one-time money or one-time transitional activities specifically for devolution. Is this, indeed, exactly what this residual will be used for, for the remainder of this $10.957 million? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Miltenberger.

Yes, Madam Chair.

At least we got an answer that’s quick and easy. I guess maybe I’ll ask the Minister to expand on what exactly this $10.957 million will be specifically spent on in relation to these one-time transitional costs. Thank you.

The funding is split into two categories for transition and implementation. The transition phase is the time between the signing of the AIP, and the final agreement was allocated $4 million of the $26.5 million. Total implementation phase is the time between the final agreement and April. It was allocated $22.5 million and that money is continuing to be expended.

I guess, as Members on this side of the House are asking, is what specifically this money will be spent on. There has been some fear, and I know it’s been talked about here in the House, that this does not become part of a slush fund for Cabinet direction for Cabinet priorities, that this is indeed to help, I guess, foster and prop up the devolution implementation.

So again I’ll ask the Minister what specifically is earmarked in this calendar year, which is a carry forward, where this money will be specifically spent. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Aumond.

Thank you, Mr. Aumond. Mr. Dolynny.

Madam Chair, if I’m reading the deputy minister’s response, and I have to maybe go back to answers tomorrow to take a look at it, but I did hear the word it “could” be for offices and it would not be used for discretionary funding.

I know all too well, being in this House for the few years that I have, typically the Department of Finance as well as departments know very well where they’re spending the money. Money is not easily come by in this House. Money is very sought after, and when there is money to be spent, I can assure you, Madam Chair, we all know that there is a laundry list a mile high where this money is going to be going. So I’m very concerned and perplexed that money could be spent, and we’ve heard a very general sense of over $10 million.

Again, I’m at the mercy of the Department of Finance here with some of the half answers that I’m getting here, but I’ll ask one last time: Can we get a specific list of criteria or infrastructure and more specifics of exactly where this $10.9 million will be spent in this calendar year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We’ll account for every penny, and we can provide the Member with a list of where the money is anticipated to be spent. There are one-time costs that we’re still coming to grips with, but we will commit to provide a list of what has been spent and where we anticipate the need is going to be for the remainder of the funds. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Executive, operations expenditures, directorate, not previously authorized. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have some concerns about this money that’s associated with the Devolution Final Agreement as well. I believe we brought this up before, but I think there’s a concern on the part of Members that, you know, the money is there and we are being assured that it’s going to be used for devolution purposes,

whether it’s to refit an office or whether it’s to hire a person that we didn’t anticipate that we needed to have hired before. But I think there’s also some nervousness about the fact that this money is sitting in general revenues. We get assurance that it’s only going to be used for devolution purposes, but there’s really no guarantee to us as Regular Members that that’s what is going to happen.

So, this question may have been asked before, I can’t quite remember, but is there a possibility that we can place the Devolution Final Agreement funding that is being carried over from year to year into a special reserve fund so that we have some assurance that it will only be used for devolution-type activities? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Aumond.