Masi. Petitions. Item 13, Reports of standing and special committees. Item 14, reports of committee on the review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Item 16, notices of motion. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, motions. Item 19, first reading of bills. Item 20, second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters with Member for Hay River North in the chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of Committee? Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. Mr. Chairperson, committee would like to consider Main Estimates 2016-2017, starting with two departments of Executive in there.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Does committee agree? Committee agrees. We shall resume after a short recess. First, I'd just like to let all the people watching outside of Yellowknife on satellite television know that the feed is cut off right away, but you can resume watching or listening on the Legislative Assembly website. Like I said, we'll resume after a short break. Thank you.

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Committee called back to order, Committee of the Whole. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 50-18(2): Main Estimates 2016-2017. Committee, we have also agreed to begin consideration of the Department of Executive. I will turn to the Minister responsible for the department for opening comments. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm pleased to present the 2016-17 Main Estimates for the Department of Executive. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $207,000 or 1.8 per cent over the 2015-16 Main Estimates. These estimates continue to support the objectives of limiting expenditure growth in order to sustain the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

● $660,000 in reductions primarily in operations and maintenance as well as the elimination of one vacant analyst position;

● $851,000 increase for phase two communications functional review.

In response to recommendations from the Standing Committee on Government Operations on the department’s business plan, the department will establish an additional government service officer in 2016-17 from within existing resources. The location of the additional position will be determined shortly. The department's proposed main estimates continue to support the priorities of the 18thLegislative Assembly.

Some examples of specific activities in support of these priorities include:

● continuing to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government communications through an increased focus on communication that is centred, digital, open and engages residents.

This work is also conducted to support the department in providing to the Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency. We look forward to sharing a work plan and draft open government policy with Members for their input in the near future.

The department will establish a rigorous transparent and public results reporting tool to provide ongoing updates on progress being made to fulfill the government's commitments in the mandate. I look forward to sharing the proposed approach with the Members. The Department of Executive is undergoing a zero-base review of all departmental operations to identify further efficiencies and opportunities for cost reduction in support of managing our government's fiscal responsibilities. That concludes my opening remarks, Mr. Chairperson.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Minister, would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Sergeant of Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left, I have Penny Ballantyne, deputy minster of the Executive. To my right, I have Lisa Turner, manager of corporate services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee, we will now proceed to consider the detail for the Department of Executive. Committee, we now turn to page 118, Department of Executive, revenue summary, information item. Any questions? We will defer page 117 until further consideration of the department detail, and review the estimates by Executive, summary, beginning with page 118. Any questions? Mr. Vanthuyne, sorry.

---Laughter

I'm new.

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Mr. Chair, if I may, with your indulgence, I would just like to go back to page 114 to the org chart for one moment, if I can. In the org chart we indicate, on the right side, Minister's responsible, and we have a line that's drawn down to Public Utilities Board. I'm wondering if we're able to get who the actual Ministers responsible are? Not necessarily names per se, but department, deputy minsters, is that possible? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That would be the Government House Leader and myself. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you.

Will there be any further questions to page 118, executive revenue summary information item? Yes, Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, again being new, I'm going to use that excuse quite often actually, so just a heads up. We have under general for revenue summary here grants-in-kind, it says band council subsidized leases. I note that from 2014-15 all the way up to the current proposed main estimates is a steady amount of $150,000. I wonder if the Minister can provide us some insight on what this is? I note that this arises again on page 126 where it says, "band council subsidized leases grant-in-kind" for the exact same amounts of $150,000 a year. I'm wondering what the correlation is and can we get an explanation for that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As a requirement of the Auditor General, and established financial practices where we provide subsidized band leases, we have to show it as a grant-in-kind. We are as part of management of existing grants- in-kind, so we'll be transferring to Public Works and Services over the 2016-17 fiscal year until the remaining leases expire. There were six subsidized leases, four of them have been terminated in favour of standard commercial leases at market rent. There are still two subsidized leases.

As far as how they interact with…another page, I'll ask through you, Mr. Chair, for the deputy minster to explain that. I believe they're the same thing.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Any further questions, Mr. Vanthuyne?

Mr. Chair, I think the deputy minster was going to provide an explanation on the correlation between page 118 and 126, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Ms. Ballantyne.