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

Kalgutkar

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $18 million that the Member is referring to is the amount that we have in our capital estimates. It is the amount that will show up on our books once the fibre line becomes operational sometime in May or June of this year. The amount that is in our main estimates, $14 million, that is our operating payments that we will start to make once that line goes into operation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is it expected on the operational side for 2017-18, assuming everything goes right, to have a clean bill of health, I would say, for an unclaim, unleave on this program transferred to our books within the fiscal year? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Kalgutkar.

Kalgutkar

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I understand the Member correctly, we will not certify that project complete until we have fully commissioned and fully tested the fibre link, that it is operating to spec. Once that is done, then we will accept the project and the payments will flow. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Kalgutkar. Nothing further? I see nothing further from committee. I will call this activity. Finance, management board secretariat, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $63,372,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, committee. On to the final activity found on page 144 to 147. Office of the Comptroller General. It is a $68 million activity. Office of the Comptroller General, pages 144 to 147. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. It is on page 145, environmental liabilities. It is just a flat $2 million. Are we not assessing these sites so that we understand the liabilities better? Are we remediating the sites and getting these liabilities off our books? What is happening here? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Stewart.

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The way the environmental liabilities work for our own sites is we have a listing of all of the GNWT sites with liabilities. We have a liability fund of about $48 million that is put away to clean up those sites. The $2 million that you see in the main estimates reflects the changes on an annual basis that we would expect to happen as we either get better estimates of costs or that we clean up things or adjust them or, frankly, as new sites are identified and those sorts of things. The $2 million is actually almost like a debt value, if you like, because there may be negative adjustments as well as positive adjustments. It really is how we adjust that $48 million liability fund as we clean up things and also then as we identify new sites or get further detailed estimates on the cost of cleanup and that sort of detail. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Maybe I am just a little bit thicker today. This $2 million, is this money that we allocate on an annual basis then into the liabilities fund? Is that what is happening? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Stewart.

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the short answer would be yes, but it really is based on, as opposed to just going in with the $2 million, it is as we refine estimates of cost and those sorts of things or identify new sites, it is sort of up to $2 million. Although, obviously, if some event happened and you had to allocate more, then we would have to come back for a supplementary appropriation or those sorts of things. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. That is very helpful. Even the 2016-17 revised estimates, there is a two and then some very round zeros after that. I am not sure if that actually reflects the work that is done or is it just an estimate. Does it actually get reconciled in some way or does that happen through the public accounts? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Stewart.

Stewart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That one is actually a very interesting case, because that was one where there was an offset of new sites identified and costs, as well as reductions as we cleaned up our sites, so it netted out to zero, the impact that year; but there was actually activity both positive and negative that led to that point. It wasn't that there wasn't anything going on. It just happened to net at that level for that fiscal year. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Nothing further from Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 145, on the line that shows interest for Deh Cho bridge, it's gone up $200,000. So can the Minister explain if the cost for this bridge is going down? It seems to be going up for the last couple of years. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Kalgutkar.

Kalgutkar

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So for this year we're anticipating the interest costs for the bridge to go up slightly. The reason for that is the financing for the bridge was done through real return bonds. So real return bonds are linked to inflation, so our estimate is the CPI for the fiscal year is going to go up slightly so the interest costs for the bridge are anticipated to go up slightly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the assistant deputy minister for his answer. I guess, again, I see two areas of bank services, other program costs: can the Minister explain what these other program costs are? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of March 2nd, 2017

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