Debates of March 9th, 2015

This is page numbers 6061 – 6102 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was health.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Office Of Auditor General’s Report And Justice Updates

Conference Board Of Canada Health Status Report

Application Of Payroll Tax On Northern Residents

Candidate Diversity In Upcoming Territorial Election

Contractor Safety Management System

NWT Youth Ambassador Program

Dehcho Process Negotiations

Sahtu Region Sustainable Economic Development

Gender Equity In Corporate Governance Structures

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Acknowledgements 19-17(5): Caroline Bonnetrouge – Wise Woman Award Recipient

Supports For Sewing And Beading Craftwork

Dehcho Process Negotiations

Application Of NWT Payroll Tax On Northern Residents

Contractor Safety Management System

NWT Youth Ambassador Program

Questions 768-17(5): Conference Board Of Canada Health Status Report

Winter 2015 Fur Prices

Advancement Of Women In Northern Society

History Of The RCMP In The Northwest Territories

Response To Auditor General’s Report On Corrections In The Northwest Territories

Conference Board Of Canada Health Status Report

Return To Written Question 34-17(5): Decentralization Analysis

Bill 42: An Act To Amend The Residential Tenancies Act

Tabled Document 216-17(5): Return To Written Question 23-17(5), Decentralization Analysis

Tabled Document 217-17(5): 2014 NWT Survey Of Mining Employees Overall Report, December 2014 Tabled Document 218-17(5): Review Of The Venture Investment Program And The Contribution Programs Of The NWT Business Development And Investment Corporation, March 7, 2013 Tabled Document 219-17(5): Review O

Domestic Violence Death Review Committee

Wellness Centre At Stanton Hospital

Establishment Of A Special Committee On Transition Matters

Bill 49: An Act To Amend The Deh Cho Bridge Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Concurrence Of Td 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2015-2016

Concurrence Of Td 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015

Concurrence Of Td 206-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015

Concurrence Of Td 207-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 102-17(5): Concurrence Of Td 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2015-2016, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

March 8th, 2015

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Committee Motion 102-17(5): Concurrence Of Td 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2015-2016, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that consideration of

Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015, is now concluded?

Committee Motion 102-17(5): Concurrence Of Td 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2015-2016, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Committee Motion 102-17(5): Concurrence Of Td 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2015-2016, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Ms. Bisaro.

Committee Motion 103-17(5): Concurrence Of Td 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 205-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 5, 2014-2015, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 205-17(5) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Your motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Question has been called. The motion is carried.

---Carried

Moving on, committee, we’re going to Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. Again, with that, I’ll turn to the Minister responsible for opening comments. Minister Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. This document outlines an increase of $13.259 million in operations expenditures for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, of which $3.81 million is offset by revenues.

Excluding the 2014-15 forest fire season and the impacts of low water on the Snare Hydro System, the GNWT was able to limit supplementary expenditures to $10.9 million or $9.1 million below the supplementary reserve budget of $20 million for 2014-15.

The more significant items included in the supplementary estimates are:

1. A total of $11.1 million for the Department of

Health and Social Services for funding for increased program costs, including: • $4.7 million for costs related to adults and

children in care in southern facilities;

• $3 million for costs associated with providing

insured services to non-NWT residents, which will be fully recovered from other jurisdictions;

• $1.9 million for costs associated with NWT

residents beings provided insured services in other jurisdictions;

• $1.3 million for costs associated with the

pension plan of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.

2. $2 million for the Department of Environmental

and Natural Resources for the additional costs incurred due to the increased fire suppression effort required during the extreme 2014-15 forest fire season.

I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary estimates document.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. When you have a chance, we’ll get a chance to introduce your witnesses that are already at the counter.

Again, Minister Miltenberger, if you would be kind enough to introduce your witnesses to the House.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Deputy Minister Mike Aumond and deputy secretary to the FMB, Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Thank you, Mr. Aumond and Mr. Kalgutkar for residing. Committee, general comments. Is committee prepared to go to detail?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, committee. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. Legislative Assembly, operations expenditure summary, expenditures on behalf of Members, not previously authorized, $577,000. Total department, not previously authorized, $577,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Page 4, Finance, operations expenditures, deputy minister’s office, not previously authorized, $1.472 million. Total department, not previously authorized, $1.472 million. Mr. Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can I get a little more detail on this expenditure here?

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. With that, we’ll go to Mr. Aumond.

Aumond

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This expenditure is a transfer of funding from Public Works and Services to the NWT Housing Corporation to commence with the demolition of the housing units in Inuvik known as the Blueberry Patch. The units were originally surplused and Public Works and Services, on behalf of the government, surplused those assets, and the Housing Corporation expects interest in acquiring the land that those units reside on for future use. On that basis, the Department of Public Works and Services transferred some funding that it had, which was to the Housing Corporation for those purposes.

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

I guess the question is Public Works had the demolition budgeted in this amount, or did they have this in their budget for other things

and this is a surplus? If I can get detail where Public Works is finding $1.4 million.

Aumond

Public Works and Services originally had received money to undertake the demolition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie or SAM School in Inuvik and Samuel Hearne Secondary School starting in 2012-13. Samuel Hearne Secondary School has been demolished and SAM School is scheduled to be completed at the end of the ’14-15 fiscal year. PWS will have a surplus of approximately $900,000 for SAMS that will otherwise lapse on March 31, 2015, and also has retained $572,000 of O and M money that it had had for those assets while they were still being maintained, which is going to be transferred, which was originally approved for Samuel Hearne Secondary and SAM School in the base budget. That funding is going to sunset in ’16-17, so that money is proposed to be transferred over to the Housing Corporation to undertake the demolition of the Blueberry Patch.

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

The $900,000 from SAMS demolition was not used so this is where we’re finding the money from, I guess. Is that from this year, ’14-15, or is that from a previous year?

Aumond

The ’14-15 fiscal year. This fiscal year.

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

I’m just wondering: obviously, the Department of Public Works and Services has been able to scramble together the money to do this and I’m not debating the merit of the demolition of this unit. I guess the question is where the money is coming from and how many other departments do we know of that have this type of a surplus sitting waiting for a project that they can transfer to any department or use for themselves. I guess, where are the checks and balances as far as when there is money that hasn’t been accounted for? Where would we see that in a reporting process?

The Chair Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister Miltenberger.

Debates of March 9th, 2015

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