The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The quick answer to the Member's question is there is $120 million in carry-overs. Thank you.

The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm hoping that the rate changes a bit. That's about 50 percent. We have actuals of $126 million. I'm wondering if the Minister of Finance could advise us if that is something that he has discussed with the various departments responsible for delivering our infrastructure and our capital. I'm wondering if there's a plan to ensure that we're not carrying over $200 million worth of capital at the end of this fiscal year 2020-2021. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have had a conversation with the department about the amount of carry-overs we have within the government's capital estimates, and I think I said when I was before committee that we try to work with all of our Aboriginal partners to try to come up with some of the work made available to them using some of the processes we have, and that might slow our progress down in trying to get some of these projects out the door as quickly as we would like. I think that's the reason we have carry-overs sometimes, is for different reasons, different ways of doing business in the Northwest Territories.

I think I had said that, if we had just taken our capital budget out and put everything out for public tender, I think we'd have people in place right away, but we also hear concern from Members of the Legislative Assembly about keeping the work available to NWT residents, and that's what we try to do. Sometimes, it may cause us to have some carry-overs, but if that's the price we have to pay to keep a lot of the work with the people of the Northwest Territories, then I think we should be willing to pay that price. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.

The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of the things that we've heard from communities, and the Member is right, the infrastructure contribution to the communities has gone up. I think we were at $27,002,000 for most of my time as a Minister in this government, and we've brought it up to $29 million, and I think that's what we're asking this Assembly to approve.

One of the challenges that we hear from the communities, and there may be surpluses, they may have capital surpluses, because there are a number of different pots; they have the CPI funding, they have the Gas Tax funding, they have a number of programs they can access. I think that's why you see some communities, and we've heard it from some of the smaller communities that are challenged with the O and M portion of it, and that's another debate for the upcoming 19^th, their first O and M budget session, I think they will need to have those conversations, but I think MACA has given them authorization, I believe, to use up to 10 percent of their capital budget to go towards O and M, because that's where their biggest challenge is.

I don't think it's a lack of infrastructure funds. I'm not sure what the carry-overs would be, or what their surpluses would be. I suppose, if we had to, I could work with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to get that information and provide it to committee, if we're able to. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize for calling the infrastructure contributions a "carry-over." The Minister was referring to it correctly as a surplus. So, considering that they are not carry-overs and they're surplus, then am I correct to understand that they could accumulate surplus for years and years and, at some point in the future, use the capital? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My apologies to the Member. I didn't quite catch his question but, before we go to him to clarify, we were talking about the carry-overs before. I think we were referring to surpluses, and I do have, across the NWT with all our communities, in the Gas Tax fund, there is about $3.7 million in surplus Gas Tax funding, and in the CPI funding, there is about $12.6 million total in surpluses across communities in the Northwest Territories. So, again, I think that demonstrates clearly that their challenge is not the infrastructure part of it; it's the O and M on the infrastructure dollars they're getting. Thank you, Mr. Chair. My apologies, again, to the Member. I'm sorry, I completely missed the question.