This is page numbers 2989 - 3034 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 know.

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

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thought I was going to get a question that would allow me to talk about the estimated overall economic impacts of the overall capital plan, but I realize that the question was actually a bit more narrow.

I don't have that in front of me right now, Madam Chair. I know that the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Investment is upstairs listening. So if I might, I think that might be an opportunity for me to answer that question when she's here. Thanks.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, then I'll ask that question. What is the economic spinoff? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member -- sorry, Minister.

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there's -- and actually I -- there's -- I mean, there's a variety of different economic spinoffs that come. There's economic impacts for capital spending that come in the form of anticipated GDP impacts of almost $200 million. There's also labor income that comes over of a hundred million dollars. And then the taxation income that the government gets on people who -- not on people, but on the taxes people are paying when they are employed. So there's quite a high number of -- also 944 jobs are anticipated from this kind of a capital spend.

You know, and those -- of course, these are all estimates because, you know, certainly it depends -- there's timing of different projects, and some projects do proceed at different paces. But there is a significant impact that comes from the spending on infrastructure.

That's not to say that we don't need to balance the type of spend on infrastructure that we have, that we need to ensure that we're spending on infrastructure that is meaningful and that's going to benefit all of the priorities that we have for this government, which are, you know, complex. But just to say that it's not only the 400 million, several million dollars that we're spending directly if there's hundreds of millions of dollars that impact thereafter. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions, comments to the -- what section -- information shared services? I'm seeing none. I'll call the page.

Finance, information system shared service, infrastructure investments, $2,199,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Some Hon. Members

Agreed

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. Please turn to page 29 for Management Board Secretariat with information item on page 30. Questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. How much of the $6 million is federal money through investing in Canada infrastructure fund. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Madam Chair, I would suggest that go to the deputy minister, please.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister MacKay.

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Mackay

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the overall project is $19,736,000. $14,804,000 of that is paid for by the fund. So it's about 75 percent of the total project. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to see we're extending fibre along the highway to Tuk. I think as has been stated previously, I think every time we build a road it's good to extend the fibre line as well along with it.

Can I just get clarification. Who will own this fibre line at the end? Will this be wrapped into the entire Mackenzie Valley P3, or is this to be owned by Northwestel? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, this is right now what's on -- what's on paper here is the anticipated extension to the Mackenzie Valley fibre line, and so indeed if that proceeds, it would just be an extension of that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just have the Minister speak to whether we anticipate to run into the kind of last mile problem when we get fibre to Tuk? I know we have fibre running up the valley, but it actually doesn't exist in many communities because any internet service provider has not then taken it, built the hub, and ran it to peoples' homes. That's often cost prohibitive for even Northwestel to do with millions of subsidies.

Is there someone on the other end of Tuk or expecting to become the ISP to actually make sure we complete the last mile of this. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Mackenzie Valley fibre line all the way through up to and including - if it comes to include Tuktoyaktuk, it is never meant to be a final in-the-home service. But what has happened in the last year or two years is that Northwestel, by virtue of the agreements they have with CRTC, because they are very directly regulated by CRTC compared to other providers in other parts of the country, are under an agreement right now to provide the availability of fibre to the home. That last mile connection is now meant to be available through them under agreement with the CRTC. So this is not a GNWT project. It's not a GNWT "thing" per se. We're certainly being kept aware of the pace of their work and being kept aware of what's going on. So in fact, they're anticipating work in Tuk for the next two years, if I recall their timeline correctly, that actually has nothing necessarily to do. Like, the services in Tuk will improve without necessarily there being any changes to the Mackenzie Valley fibre line. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. So when we built the Mackenzie Valley fibre line, I remember speaking to one of the internet service providers in Inuvik. And he said once that was built and he wasn't having to purchase broadband off of Northwestel telephone infrastructure, his costs went down about 99 percent. And I just think that is one of the success stories of the GNWT actually owning the backbone to telecoms infrastructure is we can allow competition and we can, you know, create a competitive internet environment that ultimately reduces costs.

I'm just curious when we extend it to Tuk, do we expect to change our current wholesale rate at all, and in fact just lower it is really my ask. I don't really believe we need to run this P3 at any sort of profit, and we should be selling the broadband as cheaply as possible. But are there any anticipated changes for the purchaser at the end of the Tuk line for the wholesale price they pay us under this. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't have the information of that being under consideration right now. Perhaps I just check in with Mr. Wind and see if he has any comments on that question. Thanks.