Thank you. Members, it's 6:00. We have been going for just about an hour now. Are any more question under assets, or did you want to finish assets and then break for supper?

Okay. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. On page 227, the contract services amount last year was $3,978,000. This year it's $4,332,000. Can someone explain what's happening there? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In that one, we had an increase of $345,000, and that was the Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake. No? Are there other questions under asset management? All right, so there are no further questions under asset management. Infrastructure, asset management, operations expenditure, on page 227 of the 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $19,254,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you. We will now take a break.

---SHORT RECESS

I will call the committee back to order, and we are moving on to Infrastructure, corporate management, operations expenditures, on pages 230 and 231. Just wait. Where am I? Corporate management, yes, sorry. I'm throwing my pages around. Pages 230 to 233. Questions? Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. First off, I am very happy to see the allotment for Students Against Drinking and Driving. I appreciate that line item. Thank you very much. I am wondering if the Minister can please speak to the line item for strategic infrastructure that seems to vary quite a bit from year to year. Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Yes. Just one second, here. Thank you, Madam Chair. Under strategic infrastructure, over this last one, we have had an increase of $36,000, which was the collective agreement wage increases. In the past, we have seen a decrease of $134,000. That was $14,000 of incremental collective agreement wage increases, as well, there. Net of in 2019-2020, there was a one-time supplementary appropriation funding and transfers. Are you following? Okay. $148,000 of that funding was to provide support to the Slave Geological Province Corridor project, the design and planning. That was federal funding, so that was an increase. That $170,000 also included a $22,000 collective agreement wage increase. The variance of $270,000 was new funding acquired in 2019-2020 for a new strategic infrastructure division. That was 1.5 positions, along with related operations and maintenance; so the director of one and manager of a half. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just to confirm, both of those positions were added to headquarters? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, they were. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I noticed here in the description of this, as well, it talks about how this is where we would talk about federal funding agreements. Right now, we have on our list of priorities three fairly hefty strategic infrastructure projects. I know that you have been working quite hard with the federal government to secure funding for those, but what if the federal government turns around and says to us, "We'll do 75-25 for all three of those"? How does the Department of Infrastructure plan to fund those or to choose which one goes forward? Thank you.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The three strategic infrastructure projects, at least two of them are funded already for the next four years, to get them to a shovel-ready project. Actually, I think all three of them have funding for the next four years. We're not actually looking to go and ask the federal government in this Assembly for more money for those three strategic infrastructure projects. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Member. Minister.