Masi. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 20, 2016, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on October 20th, 2016, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 25th, 2016. And further, that any time prior to October 25th, 2016, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Notices of motion. Member for Frame Lake.

Masi. Notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

WHEREAS Section 23(1) of the Human Rights Act provides that the Commissioner, on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly, shall appoint a director of Human Rights to carry out the responsibilities set out in the act;

AND WHEREAS the Board of Management is tasked with recommending an individual to the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Assembly is prepared to make the recommendation to the Commissioner;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that the Legislative Assembly recommends the appointment of Ms. Deborah McLeod of Yellowknife as director of Human Rights during good behaviour for a term of four years as recommended by the Board of Management;

AND FURTHER that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of appointment to the Commissioner.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Question has been called. All those in favour. All those opposed. Motion carried. Masi.

--- Carried

Motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2017-2018 with the Member for Hay River North in the chair.

I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to make more general comments on the Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2017-2018. Committee also wishes to try to get through the Departments of Lands; Finance; Environment and Natural Resources; and Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree?

Noting the time and noting that we had a break earlier, if we can take a brief, five-minute break and be back here, I will call a short recess. Thank you.

--- SHORT RECESS

I'll now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we've agreed to discuss Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2017-2018. We agreed to begin with general comments. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring witnesses into the House?

I do, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, can you please escort the witnesses into the Chamber? Thank you. Minister, would you please introduce your witness?

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, to my right, I have Mr. David Stewart who is the deputy minister of Finance.

Thank you, Minister. Welcome, Mr. Stewart. Now, do we have any general comments? I see Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to make some comments in terms of the capital estimates for 2017-2018. The process that we saw -- this has been my fifth year in terms of at least being a witness of having the departments and the committee work together in terms of the budget process regarding the capital estimates. We're proposing to commit $331 million estimated in spending for communities throughout the NWT. Now, one thing that I wanted to express is just a concern of the process that we experience, and it's left me to say that I know it's a bit presumptuous to act as if we have already concluded the amalgamation of two departments or a series of departments and that any department has been formed.

While I have concerns, I mean I am encouraged by some ongoing initiatives in terms of tourism, at the same time there's initiatives towards ensuring that transportation projects will continue at the same time. We know there are initiatives towards housing, especially in regards to another reserve in terms of jurisdictions. There's been challenges in terms of trying to get the consensus in terms of trying to move forward to bring housing to the reserve. There's still of course in the riding that I represent the need for basic recreational services in terms of perhaps the contemplation of an arena on the reserve or perhaps elderly care facilities that we still need to see in terms of addressing the whole matter of aging senior population in terms of looking at the baseline infrastructure.

At the same time there's still fundamental need for schools in our small communities and, of course, basic infrastructure, services that we expect to be in small communities. An example is water treatment plants. So those are just some of the comments that I wanted to make. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Would the Minister like to respond?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as far as the amalgamation goes we're not assuming anything. We realize that it's a process that we have to go through called the Capital Planning Process and the main estimates being held in February and March. This is an initiative that, depending on how things go with the main estimate debate, is not going to come into force until April 1st. So the Capital Budget is not coming in effective until April 1st, and the same with the O and M budget would come into effect April 1st. So it's on those grounds that we bring this initiative forward.

As far as some of the other community projects that the Member speaks of, I've said a number of times in the past in my former capacity that the communities have the ability with the infrastructure money that's given them and other possible money that they're able to access to identify what some of their priorities are and use the capital money that we give them to make those a reality. It puts a lot of responsibility on the communities, but communities have responded well to that. I've said before that if we work some of these smaller projects into the capital plan, then we're making the decisions for the communities again, and they've proven that they're quite capable of making their own decisions as to what their priorities are.

So, Mr. Chair, the communities have the ability, as I've said before, and I think I've rattled on a little too long. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Next on my list I have Mr. Blake with general comments.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few comments here. You know, I have noticed spending in my riding has gone down a little compared to last year. No Member likes to see things like this, but you know we are happy that we are getting a couple new units in Fort McPherson because I've always said, you know, the housing does do a good job replacing units, but you know we have to start planning ahead for adding to our stock. It's always a challenge. There's a huge waiting list in both Fort McPherson and Aklavik. As we move forward, I hope we could achieve that through this Assembly.

Also, I'm very pleased to see the four-bay garage on the records here for James Creek. That's much needed infrastructure along the Dempster Highway. Also, with the Dempster widening as well, you know, as we plan for the opening of the Inuvik-Tuk Highway, it's very important that we have the remaining of the highway also in good shape for all the tourists that we're expecting for next year. It's pretty clear that we're going to have to start planning ahead here for all that traffic. A good example is the Louis Cardinal at Tsiigehtchic. You know we have to start planning ahead for replacement of that vessel. I believe it's about 25 to 30 years old maybe, somewhere in that area. So we've got to start planning ahead. You know, right now the people on the ground are noticing that even with the vehicles we have now, it's just not feasible. We do need a larger vessel. So you know we have to start working out costing for what it is going to take our government to replace that. I know I've always pushed for the other vessel from Providence to be moved down, but you know that's just as old as well. So you know it's better off, as we always look at the feasibilities. It's pretty much better just to get a new vessel, and you know it'll last much longer and less repairs as well.

You know, and as we move forward to next year, I'm sure hoping to see the replacement of the Louis Cardinal just so the two Ministers responsible for that could take notes for next year and I hope to see it in there next year. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Would the Minister like to respond?

No, I've used up my quota of yesses for the week. Mr. Chair, the Member makes a good point on the housing infrastructure. One of the challenges that all of jurisdictions are facing is, and I've said it a number of times, is the decline in funding at CMHC. I think the current Minister of Housing has made a commitment that they're going to continue to raise the issue at the FPT table, and one of the benefits with the new federal government is that they actually are willing to come to the table. We've never had that before; we were very challenged. In all my time as Minister of Housing I think we may have had a federal presence once. I think it was the only one FPT we've ever been to, so this current government is more receptive to attending FPTs and having discussions on the CMHC funding. We're very fortunate that this government, I think in the last couple of years, has put some money towards offsetting the decline. I believe it was $1.2 million last year, and it might have been a bit more in the last budget that we debated. So that has continued to be a challenge, but now I think at least we have the ear of the federal government.

As far as the four-bay garage goes, I am pleased to see it in the capital budget because I do know the one that the Member's talking about and good on them. I think it was our Government as we put more money actually into the condition of the roads, then the condition of our buildings, and you see that firsthand, Mr. Blake, and so it's a long overdue project and hopefully it'll help them to be able to look after their equipment a bit better.

The Dempster widening, you're absolutely correct, Mr. Blake. We are going to have to take into account the increased traffic with the Inuvik Highway potentially opening. Then large sections of the road have been widened, but there's still a few more to go I think from Tsiigehtchic all the way to Inuvik is a prime example. So we'll continue to work with transportation, and I'm not sure, I would have to have a discussion with Transportation to see what their long-term plans are for the ferry in Tsiigehtchic, and again you are correct, Mr. Blake, that we are going to see an increase in traffic and we have to be ready for it because I've been on the opposite shore when there's 15 vehicles waiting. It takes an awful long time to get over because of the capacity of the current ferry, and traffic is increasing quite a bit too. So I'll have a conversation with transportation and see what their long-term plan is for the ferry in Tsiigehtchic. Thank you, Mr. Chair.