Debates of May 29th, 2015

This is page numbers 6259 – 6290 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 work.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Morel Mushrooms

Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link Progress

Firth Sisters Elected To Hall Of Fame

Working To Better Coordinate Service Delivery Of Social Supports To NWT Residents

GNWT Support For The Native Communications Society

25th Annual Territorial Track And Field Championships

Elders Facilities In Mackenzie Delta

C.d. Howe Study On Fiscal Accountability Of Governments

Tribute To The Late Mr. Ron Mccagg

South Slave Successful Bid For The 2018 Arctic Winter Games

On-The-Land Corrections Programming

Improved Communications Policies Regarding Highway Closures

Flexible Employment Opportunities

Early Childhood Program Governance And Funding

Respite Care Services

Spring Graduation Ceremonies

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Morel Mushroom Harvesting Concerns

Improving Financial Accountability

Morel Mushroom Harvest

Communications Policies Regarding Road Closures

Early Childhood Program Review

Respite Care Services

Innovative GNWT Recruitment Processes

On-The-Land Rehabilitation Programs

Elders Housing Facilities In Mackenzie Delta

Highway No. 7 Reconstruction And Repairs

Tabled Document 246-17(5): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015 Tabled Document 247-17(5): Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-2016 Tabled Document 248-17(5): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016

Bill 56: Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015

Reappointment Of Information And Privacy Commissioner

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Concurrence Of Tabled Document 246-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015

Concurrence Of Tabled Document 247-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2015-2016

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 117-17(5): Concurrence Of Tabled Document 246-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Department of Education, Culture and Employment, capital investment expenditures, education and culture, not previously authorized, $1.870 million.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Labour development and standards, not previously authorized, $448,000.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Total department, not previously authorized, $2.318 million.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Department of Environment and Natural Resources, capital investment expenditures, environment, not previously authorized, $29,000.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Forest management, not previously authorized, $2.246 million.

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Ms. Bisaro.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is a large amount here of $1.5 million to provide funding for the purchase of eight Air Tractor Fire Boss air tankers. Could I get an explanation of why this is a supplementary appropriation? I believe we had put it into our budget earlier, the budget that was passed earlier this year. Thank you.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Deputy Minister Aumond.

Aumond

Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the latter part of April, the contractor approached the department with an opportunity or an option to exonerate the first two aircraft in exchange for offering savings on the remaining fleet of craft to be purchased. So we need to increase in 2015-16 about 1.254 million US dollars, or about 1.554 million Canadian dollars, in exchange for getting savings in 2016-17 of about 1.588 million US dollars for a net savings over the total life of the project of about $334,000 US. Thank you.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Thanks to Mr. Aumond for that. I’m presuming that if we are advancing $1.5 million that we’re probably going to have to borrow it. Have we considered the cost of advancing the money in terms of borrowing against the money that we’re

saving? I imagine it probably isn’t a heck of a lot, but I have to ask the question. Thank you.

Aumond

Given that we are likely to be in a cash deficit for most of the year, it will cost us a bit of interest but be more than offset by the savings that we get in 2016-17.

Wendy Bisaro Frame Lake

Just one last question. The statement was that this would accelerate the delivery of the first two aircraft. Am I correct, we are going to get two aircraft a little sooner than the original schedule laid out? Will that have any impact on the aircraft following the delivery of the two? Is that schedule impacted? Thank you.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Kalgutkar.

May 28th, 2015

Kalgutkar

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is correct; we are advancing the engine and the airframe portion of the first two aircraft, so they should be ready a bit earlier. The remaining aircraft remain on the current schedule. Thank you.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Next I have Mr. Dolynny.

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just continuing questions where Ms. Bisaro left off, so we have an accelerated delivery of two of the 802 Fire Boss air tankers en route. I look here and there is some carry forward or offset for an air tanker base workshop/storage in Hay River. We have another air tanker base dispatch standby facility in Norman Wells, which seems to be lapsed money. So, with the anticipated early delivery of these two air tankers, where will these tankers be predominantly located, and again, are we also having multiple air tanker base facilities throughout the Northwest Territories? Is that the intention here? Thank you.

The Chair Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The current infrastructure will continue to be used. The aircraft will be split initially between Smith and Yellowknife on a start-up basis, then they will be moved across the North on a required basis, wherever that may be. We have other supplementary bases in Hay River, Norman Wells, Simpson and Inuvik, among other places. So we will continue to use the infrastructure that we have to support the current aircraft which, over time, will be surplused. Thank you.

Daryl Dolynny Range Lake

I appreciate the Minister’s response to that. Just as a confirmation, because we are looking at an accelerated delivery of these 802 air tankers, will we have the facility in place to deal with that early delivery? Thank you.

Debates of May 29th, 2015

Topics

Help us improve OpenNWT