This is page numbers 1111 - 1152 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 going.

Topics

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Part of the issues and why we're creating a climate change council is that the Auditor General said there is a lack of authority and clear direction of who is in charge of climate change in the GNWT, and some of that accountability is missing. Much of the research and work to be done in part 2 is addressing that. I'm looking for a commitment out of the Minister that the terms of reference of the climate change council will be shared. Ultimately, in order for them to succeed, we're going to have to really break down some departmental silos, and they are going to have to be able to make not recommendations, basically orders that we build things a certain way, we assess things a certain way, and really reach into departments to have that transformative adaptation, if we hope to remotely keep a stable budget in light of the costs we're going to see due to climate change. That's a lot I'm asking. Can I have a commitment from the Minister that the terms of reference and who is on the climate change council will be shared with the appropriate committee? Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, the terms of reference will be shared with committee, and perhaps that will be an opportunity at that time for the Member to address the more detailed questions to the department when they are before committee at that stage. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Any further questions or comments? Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. The line item on this page that my colleague from Yellowknife North just mentioned was the Part 2 of the Climate Change Strategic Framework Action Plan, and I was just looking at the document. It goes on for pages and pages. What specific parts is this going to fund? The value of that work has got to be probably in the neighbourhood of tens of millions of dollars. What specifically is this work going to accomplish? If the Minister can't give it to us now, it would be helpful to get that list and communicate that to the public, as well, because I have no idea what we're actually approving here. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know this is a particular project that involves collaboration between ENR, ITI, ECE, Health and Social Services, and MACA. Quite a number of departments have come together on this and are collaborating on their existing resources to advance this project. Some of this funding is, indeed, to secure additional staff between these departments so that there can be more dedicated resources to advancing some of the items that are contained within the action plan as it stands right now. I suppose a more detailed analysis of what each of these items will be related to those staffings, opportunities, we certainly can commit to providing that back to the Member. I hope that's at least somewhat helpful at this stage. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. I want to be fair here. I support spending more on climate change, but without getting into the action plan itself, it is probably in the neighbourhood of about 50 pages. As I said, pages and pages and pages of action areas, potential partners, potential resources, but none of it is costed. This was a criticism of the action plan when it was being developed from SCEDE. We tried to encourage the Minister of the day to include some costing with some of this. Now we're being asked to approve $1.4 million without knowing what it's going to be spent on. I want to invest more on climate change, but I have no idea what this is for. We haven't gotten any information about that. I think this has been, anyways, how much else can I say? With some of the other items, we get additional information, but on this one, we don't have anything. I want to see more money invested, but I think we just need to be a bit more careful in explaining what some of these line items are in the future, as well. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually asked Mr. Koe. I think it may not be very detailed. Some of it, we do, at least, have a list of the intended or expected activities in 2020-2021. If I could turn it over to him, please?

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Koe.

Koe

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I do have a little bit of a list here that I can share with committee. ITI for their climate change framework, the activities that would be focused on in 2020-2021, ITI would focus on permafrost monitoring and modelling. That supports a number of departments to meet their mandate commitments. For ENR, climate monitoring to assist in understanding adaption needs. MACA would be working on community infrastructure, adaption, and planning; health on health-related adaption; ECE on archeological inventory and retention of vulnerable locations. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Koe. Did you have any further questions, Member for Frame Lake?

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. That's helpful. I'd like a little more information about specific activities and staffing that are going to be associated with each of the departments that were listed off there. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Any further questions, comments, under this section? Seeing none, environmental stewardship and climate change, not previously authorized, $1,468,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Forest management, not previously authorized, $3,998,000. Questions? Comments? Seeing none, forest management, not previously authorized, $3,998,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Total department, not previously authorized, $5,788,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

We'll turn to page 6. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs operations expenditures and proceed to the detail on page 6. Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs, not previously authorized, $300,000. Questions? Comments? Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Marsi cho, Madam Chair. I wonder, Madam Chair, what "expansion" means? I'm not quite clear what the definition of that is. Marsi cho.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is as a result of the fact that there's been an increased number of meetings that are being called with more frequency across the Northwest Territories. In order to support full participation by the Indigenous governments, this amount is being increased in order to provide the funding to the Indigenous governments to support their participation in those meetings, in that increased number and variety of meetings. Thank you, Madam Chair.