This is page numbers 763-836 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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 mr chair.

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Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Hilderman

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to be a little more specific on that and the $202,000, $142,000 was reallocated from the Land Use Planning unit and $60,000 from Land Use Planning and Sustainability, which is the unit that the director and their support staff are in. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

June 23rd, 2016

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Hilderman. Mr. Thompson.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank Ms. Hilderman for answering that question because it answers two other ones I had. I am good with this page. Thank you, Mr. Chair. No more further questions.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Further comments or questions, page 309? Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Those questions, they bring up a question for me. Are we taking money then away from Land Use Planning and putting it into Land Use Sustainability? As I understand it, one of the parts of our mandate was to ensure that we have completed a land use plans maybe even at the end of our four-year term. I am just trying to figure out how reallocating money away from land use planning into land use sustainability is going to help us accomplish that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister. Ms. Hilderman.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Hilderman

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the Member's question. When we came into being April 1, 2014, we had zero base, the Department of Lands. There were some areas where it was our best estimates what the base requirements might be. In the case of those reallocations between those three units for the contracts-based funding, it is more that we just didn't get it right. These reallocations are about funding the right unit within land use planning and sustainability. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Hilderman. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, and I appreciate it. We are dealing with labels on a page, which really don't translate into very much. I guess what I am most concerned about is the reduction overall from 7.3 in the mains in 2015-16 down to $6.8 million this year. That is why I guess I am asking these sorts of questions. Why the overall reduction in this part of the Lands department? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this was, again, part of the reduction exercises. For the actual details of the reductions, I can provide that to the Members if they wish. I could read it off here, but it is a fairly long list. I can provide this information to the Members so they can see exactly what the reductions are. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. I know I am the only thing standing between us and dinner. Happy to get that in writing from the Minister. I did have one other question though if I could. Going back to the Minister's opening remarks, he talks about, in his opening remarks, the amalgamation of the liabilities of the financial assurances division and the project assessment branch -- and that is, I think, the section of Lands we are talking about here -- and how there can be some policies and procedures developed, particularly around the area of securities. I keep asking about this stuff. Any progress on this? We have enough money in the budget to make this happen? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

I will have Ms. Hearn respond to that, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Ms. Hearn.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Hearn

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We will be providing a full briefing on the status of the securities group next week, including some of the background materials that are of interest to Members. Generally we are trying to take advantage of similar skill sets between both groups. We did unfortunately have a slow start to LAFA, the liabilities and financial assurances division. We had a lot of difficulty in finding the specialized people we needed for the job descriptions as they were written, so we've gone back to first principles, which is really dealing with some of the issues that were identified by the Commissioner on Environment and Sustainable Development in the federal government, with Canada's management of securities in the Northwest Territories. So we're moving forward on those issues. We should hopefully have staffing completed by the end of the summer, but meantime we're sort of using expertise from the project assessment branch to do some of the basic securities work, including continued internal engagement on the guidelines. We can provide a full briefing next week that has been scheduled for Tuesday. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Hearn. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm very happy to hear that and I look forward to the meeting on Tuesday. Thanks.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Further comments or questions? Page 309. Seeing none. We'll call the page. Planning and coordination, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $6,827,000. Agreed?

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Committee agrees. We have an information item on 312, lease commitments. Questions, comments, on page 312? Uncontroversial page. Moving on to page 313, work performed on behalf of others, another information item. Comments or questions? Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just so I understand this, the entire budget for the Surface Rights Board is coming from the feds, and how long is that going to last for? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member is correct. It comes from the feds, and it will go on forever. Thank you, Mr. Chair.