Debates of March 2nd, 2017

This is page numbers 2115 – 2164 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 information.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Progress Statement – Governance: Office Of The Auditor General Of Canada Performance Audit

Online Service Improvements

Pursuing An Agreement With The Federal Government On The Management Of Offshore Resources

Health And Social Services System Transformation Implementation

Snow King Winter Festival

Chief Julian Yendo School Annual Trip To Alberta

GNWT Land Lease Rates

Diamond Mine Environmental Agreements

Community Support In Response To K’atlodeeche Tragedy

Deline Got’ine Library Proposal

Elders’ Residence For Tsiigehtchic

Indigenous Wellness And System Of Care

Health Information Act Implementation

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Elders’ Residence For Tsiigehtchic

Yellowknife Airport Improvement Plan

Diamond Mine Environmental Agreements

New Generators For Yellowknife Power Plant

GNWT Land Lease Rates

Junior Kindergarten Funding

Deline Got'ine Library Proposal

Health Information Act Implementation

New Generators For Yellowknife Power Plant

Diamond Mine Environmental Agreements

Return To Written Question 17-18(2): Impact Of Proposed Aurora College Program Changes

Return To Written Question 18-18(2): Instructional School Hours

Committee Report 8-18(2): Report On The Review Of The 2014-2015 And 2015-2016 Annual Reports Of The Information And Privacy Commissioner Of The Northwest Territories

Motion To Receive Committee Report 8-18(2) And Move Into Committee Of The Whole

Tabled Document 311-18(2): Strategy For Revitalizing The Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery - March 2017

Tabled Document 312-18(2): Follow-Up Letter For Oral Question 572-18 (2): Social Services Facilities In Downtown Yellowknife

Tabled Document 313-18(2): Letter From Giant Mine Oversight Board Dated February 28, 2017 Regarding Giant Mine Oversight Board Roll Over Provision

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Finance, Deferral Of Directorate Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Finance, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For Finance

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 74-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Department Of Finance, Deferral Of Directorate Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Stewart.

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So again, you can see there is a whole list of detail provided out under "accounting services," and that's really the leftover amount that relates to the staff who are involved in government accounting operations and those sorts of things. So the bulk of that would be salary dollars for our accounting services division as well as a small amount of O and M. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the deputy minister for his answer. So I'm assuming that under Finance and Employment Shared Services other program costs are the same thing: salary and O and M? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the quick answer is yes, and I've made the commitment before that I'm going to work with the department, because the word "other" does open it up for questions and we'll take steps to rectify that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that commitment; it helps. I'm just trying to understand where it is, and I greatly appreciate the Minister is going to make that commitment; it will help maybe eliminate some of the questions in the future. So thanks, Mr. Chair; I'm done with this page. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Next, Mr. Testart.

March 2nd, 2017

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. What explains the variance in tax commissions between 2017 and this estimates document? Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Testart.

Kalgutkar

--- related to how we are now accounting for the commissions that we are going to collect from the legislative proposal that we're going to do on where we collect our Tobacco Tax. So currently, the Tobacco Tax is collected at the retail level, I believe, and the proposed legislative change is going to collect it at the wholesale level, and because of that change we do not have to pay commissions on the tax that we are collecting. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Testart.

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this does suppose the passage of Bill 15? Yes. Sorry, it pre-supposes the passage. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Would the Minister like to comment?

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

I'll just say yes, it does, with committee's support.

---Laughter

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Good answer. I just wanted to be clear on that. Nothing further. Thank you.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On page 146 we have the description there for the power subsidy program, and it's the program that provides subsidy for the residential electricity consumers outside of Yellowknife. Further to that, with regard to the GNWT subsidy for GNWT-owned assets outside of Yellowknife, is there a line item for that and where do we or where would we find that in the budget? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Stewart.

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe the Infrastructure Department would have the utilities budget for GNWT assets across the NWT, so I think that's where you would find the amounts that we're spending on utilities for our own assets. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

That's great. I appreciate that. No further questions. Thank you

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Seeing nothing further I will call this activity. Finance, office of the Comptroller General, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $68,684,000. Does committee agree?

Debates of March 2nd, 2017

Topics

Help us improve OpenNWT