Masi, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2016-17 Main Estimates for the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is seeking an operations expenditures appropriation of $19,336,000 for 2016-17. This represents a decrease of $1,839,000, or 9.7 per cent from the 2015-16 Main Estimates of $21,175,000, and a 2.8 per cent decrease from actual expenditures in the 2014-15 fiscal year. A significant portion of the decrease from the 2015-16 operations budget is due to the sunsetting of $1,467,000 in funding that was approved for the 2015 territorial election, and for the transition from the 17thAssembly to this 18thAssembly.
My office also undertook a comprehensive review of the Legislative Assembly’s operational needs for 2016-2017, and developed a number of reduction options in order to align with the reduction target put forth by the executive council.
Mr. Chair, we are proposing reductions totaling $773,000 for the 2016-17 operations budget. These proposed reductions are substantially a result of changes we intend to implement to some of our service delivery models, along with adjustments to our staff resources during the inter-election period to improve our operational efficiencies. One example of operational efficiency that we are particularly pleased with is in the area of heating for the Legislative Assembly building. In 2010, a wood pellet boiler system was installed. Over the past five years, this has resulted, on average, in a 10 per cent reduction in the combined costs for heating fuel and wood pellets.
In 2015-16, our heating costs were reduced to $53,000. This is a 30 per cent decrease in the average annual heating costs before the wood pellet boiler system was commissioned. From an environmental perspective we have reduced our use of heating fuel, on average, by approximately 64,000 litres per year, resulting in greenhouse gas savings of approximately 189,000 tonnes in 2015-16.
I can assure Members that these estimates support the Legislative Assembly’s goals of achieving operational efficiency and limiting expenditure growth in order to sustain the long-term fiscal objectives of our government.
Mr. Chair, in closing, I want to thank all Members, my colleagues on the Board of Management, and the Assembly staff for their contributions and efforts in working towards these Main Estimates, and to the continued efficient operations and delivery of quality services for the Legislative Assembly. Masi cho, Mr. Chair. This concludes my opening remarks. I am pleased to respond to any questions that Members may have.