Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today, we have Ms. Kim Wickens, deputy clerk of Members and Precinct Services, and also, my right-hand man, Mr. Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
Debates of March 4th, 2020
This is page numbers 483 - 520 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 work.
Topics
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will now open the floor to general comments on the Legislative Assembly. If there are no further comments, does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary. We are going to begin on page 8, expenditures on behalf of Members. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am just curious, comparing Members' pension expenses from 2019-2020, why we actually appear to be spending less on our pensions.
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Mercer
Thank you, Madam Chair. The pension contribution for Members is actually divided into two segments. The Members' pension expense is actually an accounting adjustment that is done to the pension plan every year. It reflects, basically, the change in assets and liabilities on the balance sheet of the consolidated revenue fund. That accounting adjustment has gone down. However, within the Members' operating expenses, there is a segment of the annual cash contribution to the pension plan which has actually increased by $500,000. They don't fully offset each other. The accounting adjustment is largely just a bookkeeping entry, but, in fact, under the Members' operating expenses, there has been an increase in the cash contribution this year of $500,000. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I see here that the Members' compensation and allowances has increased based on the consumer price index. Can I just get a sense of how that policy works, and is that happening year over year?
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Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to confirm that that is as set out in the Legislative and Executive Council Act?
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Are there any further questions on expenditures on behalf of Members? Member for Frame Lake.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. I know that one of the recommendations from the Independent Commission to Review Members' Compensation and Benefits -- I may not get the name of it right -- was to look at the issue of benefits for constituency assistants and to actually include that as a program that we would offer constituency assistants. Is this where I would find that, and can someone point me to the line item where that might show an increase? Thanks, Madam Chair.
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Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta
Yes, thank you. That falls under Members' operating expenses. The total amount is actually $67,000 for CA benefits, and that's through NEBS, which comes out of the budget, your constituency budget. Thank you.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks. No, that's good to know. Thanks, I don't have any further question. Thanks, Madam Chair.