Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operations not previously authorized, $5,728,000. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Happy to see this money. Happy to see that we can spend some of the safe restart money on our municipalities. Municipalities have a fiscal year end that ends in a calendar year, not in April, such that they are all doing their budgets right now. It's November, they need to know whether they can put this money into their budgets. They're not allowed to run deficits. My question is: I'm glad, and I will happily approve this money. How quickly can we get the cheque to the municipalities and confirmation such that they can put it in their current budget, and we won't see any tax increases for money they know they're getting but can't include? Have we agreed on how it's going to be distributed to those communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs can speak to the distribution of it. I suggest it go to her, please. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Minister of MACA.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The funding that was allocated, we did get kind of a last-minute response from the federal government to say that this money had to be spent by September 30^th, so the money has been distributed to all communities throughout the territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I received a letter from the mayor saying that is not the case and that they have not included this money in their current budgets. Is that just perhaps because it actually has to be passed by the Legislature, or can I just confirm that our municipalities have this money and I am mistaken, then? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Mr. Chair, I think the money that had to be spent by September 30^th might be the next line item under MACA, which is funding for sports and community associations. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs was successful in getting us some flexibility on that one. As such, that's the money that had to go out. I apologize. The money that's going to municipalities, if, in fact, the supplementary does move forward then, at that point, we'd be able to formalize the allocation. I know the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs has been engaged with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and working with them to determine allocation of the funding. If, in fact, this does go through in the next couple of days that should provide the Minister with the ability to formalize that division. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm confident this supplementary will pass. I will hope for it, get a written response a later date that we are confident that we can get this money to our municipalities to include it in their calendar year budget such that they are not making cuts that they will then just get the money for and they're moving things around unnecessarily. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and Municipal and Community Affairs have had a discussion. There shouldn't be any secrets around what amounts are going to which communities, that division has been agreed to between those parties, so this was a very engaged process, one where, again, the association of municipalities and the Municipal and Community Affairs have, indeed, figured out what an equitable distribution will be between all the different communities. Indeed, if this does go through, as we are certainly hopeful that it will, there should be no delay in getting this to the municipalities as allocated, as agreed to. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member.

No. I am glad to hear that, Mr. Chair. Let's hope Finance can cut that cheque as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, regional operations, not previously authorized, $5,728,000. Does the committee agree?

Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, sport, recreation and youth, not previously authorized, $1,584,000. Does committee agree?

Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, total department not previously authorized, $7,312,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 217-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021?