This is page numbers 1443 - 1480 of the Hansard for the 19th 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 housing.

Topics

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. We are very interested in working with the Member to provide ideas for services and facilities in Ulukhaktok to meet the need of the elders' population there, and I look forward to discussing that more with him when I go to his riding in November. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 1469

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions or comments to this section? Seeing none, I will now call the activity. Health and Social Services, health and social programs, infrastructure investments, $59,754,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Members. Please return now to the department summary found on page 29. Health and Social Services, 2021-2022 Capital Estimates, $61,120,000. Mr. Norn.

Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Madam Chair. I move that the committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services at this time. Marsi cho.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All in favour? All opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Consideration of the departmental summary has been deferred. Thank you to the Minister and the witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

We will now move onto the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Does the Minister wish to bring in any witnesses?

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses to the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce her witness?

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to introduce Ms. Eleanor Young, the deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister, and welcome, Deputy Minister Young. The committee has agreed to forego general comments, so does the committee agree that we will proceed to the detail in the tabled document?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Committee, we will defer the departmental totals and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with regional operations on page 62 with information items on page 63. Does committee have any questions or comments? Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I recognize there's been a number of discussions about closing our municipal infrastructure gap, but I'm happy to see that the Minister committed to bringing forward some funding both for COVID relief and to close the gap. I'm looking at the $29 million here for capital that goes to communities. Can I just get a sense of how much that number should be if we had closed the gap? What is the actual gap on the capital infrastructure here? Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. We did allocate additional funding this year. I will have Ms. Young elaborate on the response. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Young.

Young

Thank you, Madam Chair. The gap, as we estimate it for all communities, is a total of $69 million for capital, and we are currently funding at roughly $45 million. The gap currently is $24.3 million a year.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, deputy minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding is that, when we actually did the formula, there were a number of communities that were overfunded. I think this has created kind of a bit of a problem in that some communities care about the infrastructure gap and others don't. I think it also doesn't make sense that we identified a policy and then said some people are overfunded and did nothing about it. Is the department looking at addressing the overfunded communities? Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Paulie Chinna

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Northwest Territories does have a different amount of communities, I don't want to say restrictions, but we do have designated communities, as well. It's kind of complicated how money is distributed. I'll have Ms. Young just elaborate on the overfunded communities. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Young.

Young

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. As the work was done in 2014, based on the policy decisions about what was funded and not funded as part of the infrastructure package, there were some of the smaller communities in particular where the amount of funding they were getting was more than what their annual need was, but the recommendation of the association and the decision of the government of the day was to freeze those communities and not take money away from them to fund the others. We would catch up through a policy growth so that those folks would eventually catch up until we were caught up for the full funding. Thank you, Madam Chair.