This is page numbers 3165 - 3220 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 indigenous.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Minister. Welcome. I will now open the floor for general comments. Seeing no further general comments, we'll review the supplementary estimates by department.
The committee has agreed to forego general comment on each department. Does 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 has agreed to begin with the review of the Department of Infrastructure. Committee, we will begin on page 6. Questions?
Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 2, 2021-2022. Department of Infrastructure, operations expenditures, energy and strategic initiatives, not previously authorized, $17,115,000. Does committee agree?
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm furiously trying to flip between various documents here.
In the Minister's opening remarks, she talked about a $113.5 million negative appropriation, and I guess I've been here six years; I'm not sure I've ever seen a negative appropriation. Maybe once or twice before, but not of $113 million. So can I just get some more explanation from the Minister on what this is.
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Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, in past years, certainly last year, there was concerns raised about the fact that there were carryovers and that the carryovers of course don't come until fairly late in the cycle. So this was an effort to better reflect the work that is in fact ongoing, and so the department asked the Department of Finance asked all departments to make an effort to determine what their actual ongoing projects schedules would be so that projects that are not going to be advanced on this cycle could have their budgets adjusted now rather than having to be a carryover. So instead of seeing it later, what we are seeing is that, indeed, the appropriation is being removed at this stage with a view to lining up in future years when in fact it's expected that the projects will be moving forward and the actual costs are being incurred. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. So this money that's being taken out of the current financial year, so this appears before us now as the capital estimates of this $113 million that's been transferred into the capital estimates for 2022-2023; is that what I hear the Minister saying? Thanks.
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Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chair. No, it's not transferred in. It is cash flowed differently, and perhaps, Madam Chair, I'm going to see if in fact Mr. Courtoreille may want to take a stab at explaining that.
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Courtoreille
Thank you, Madam Chair, and good evening. Yes, the Minister's correct that it is a reduction of $113 million in the 2021-2022, but that amount does not all get reallocated to 2022-2023. It gets reallocated to other future years as well, depending on when departments expect to incur those capital expenditures. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Thanks, Madam Chair. So I always thought you couldn't kind of, like, carry over money from one year to the next. A big chunk of this is probably federal funding. So, like, how many years into the future can you carry this stuff forward before authorization runs out and you got to give the money back to the feds. Thanks, Madam Chair.
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Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I anticipate that that will depend project by project. I'm not sure if we could perhaps give some examples or if the Department of Finance might be able to give some examples. So I -- and certainly, we'd have to come in with some discussions with our -- the federal funders where that is the case. So I'll see if, again, if there's an example perhaps deputy minister might be able to provide.
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Mackay
Thank you, Madam Chair. So all of these transfers are compliant with the federal agreements that they're under. So -- but as for a specific example, I might turn to Mr. Courtoreille to give that, if he can. Thank you.
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Courtoreille
Thank you, Madam Chair. And the Member's right, we are only appropriated for one year at a time. So for those amounts that are beyond the 2022-2023 year, those projects would remain kind of in the priority list for future capital estimates and reviewed by the Legislative Assembly. For example, for the projects that are funded by ICEP, we have a three-year rolling forecast for that program, and that's updated every year. And our intentions would be to come forward with recash flowing proposals depending on that three-year forecast for those ICIP programs -- or projects. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake
Okay, thanks for that. So beyond that re-cash flowing, are there other, like, carryovers that are taking place? Thanks, Madam Chair.
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