Debates of March 1st, 2021

This is page numbers 2199 - 2242 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

Oral Questions

Members Present

Prayer

Procurement Review

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

Legislative Lethargy

Dechinta Fish Camp

Hamlet of Enterprise Economic Opportunities

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Tree of Peace Friendship Centre

Mineral Resource Exploration

Government Transparency and Open Government

Rental Assessments in Nunakput

Bill C-92: An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis Children, Youth and Families

Application of the Government of the Northwest Territories Affirmative Action Policy

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

Application of the Government of the Northwest Territories Affirmative Action Policy

Gaps in Emergency Services

Legislative Lethargy

Rental Assessments in Nunakput

Colorectal Cancer Awareness

Hamlet of Enterprise Economic Opportunities

Funding for the Tree of Peace and Non-Government Organizations

Government of the Northwest Territories Open Government Portal

Bill C-92: An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis Children, Youth and Families

Mineral Resource Exploration and Development

Return to Written Question 22-19(2): Financial Obligations for the Ekati Mine to the Government of the Northwest Territories

Committee Report 10-19(2): Report on Bill 3: An Act to Amend the Public Highways Act

Motion to Receive Committee Report 9-19(2) and Move into Committee of the Whole

Tabled Document 329-19(2): Summary of GNWT Response to Dominion Diamond Mines Creditor Protection Process and Ekati Diamond Mine Sale Tabled Document 330-19(2): Outstanding Payments Dominion Diamond Group of Companies/Arctic Canadian Diamond Company as of February 3, 2021 Tabled Document 331-19(2): Executive Summary - Public Procurement Policies for the Government of the Northwest Territories Tabled Document 332-19(2): Discussion Paper for the Review of Public Procurement Policies for the Government of the Northwest Territories Tabled Document 333-19(2): Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 494-19(2): Economic Recovery

Tabled Document 334-19(2): Letter dated February 24, 2021, from Midwives Association of the Northwest Territories to Minister of Health and Social Services regarding Increased Funding for Midwifery Services in the 2021/2022 Budget

Systemic Racism

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Health and Social Services - Deferral of Department (page 169)

Report Of Committee Of The Whole

Orders Of The Day

Committee Motion 81-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Health and Social Services - Deferral of Department (page 169), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 2219

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I understand we have added the ECE and Child and Family Services leasing. I am not opposed to adding. When we need space, we need it. What I am trying to understand is: on page 251, we spend $32 million on leases, but on 263, we spend $12 million on leases. I just would like to understand the difference between those two numbers. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister.

Page 2219

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thought I was clear in explaining how much we did spend, but obviously not. I will get ADM Brennan to speak to the other page that we are referring to. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. ADM Brennan.

Page 2219

Brennan

Thank you, Madam Chair. The question the Member is asking, I think, is the $12 million commitment on the leases page. That is our actual base rent that we pay on our annual leases. The additional money, which gets us to $32 million, so another $20 million or so, is actually the O and M cost, with the utilities and maintenance and other types of activities that we have to pay as part of all of those leases to get to the $32 million that you saw on page 251. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Yellowknife North.

Page 2219

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. There is a lot of money being spent here. I'm trying to understand it. The $35 million in utilities on page 251, that would be, essentially, the O and M for the buildings that we own, not the leases? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Page 2219

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, that's correct.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Page 2219

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will just reiterate my previous comment. I think that there is $32 million being spent here, and a hard look needs to be taken at it and then updating that policy. Can I get an explanation for the $5 million increase to highway operations, what that is going to accomplish? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Page 2219

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes, Madam Chair. The highway operations increase of $4.6 million includes the $400,000 for the internal reallocation for the maintenance on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway from winter roads as the budget is no longer needed, that's significantly changed; the $536,000 incremental increase for Highway No. 8 maintenance; and the amortization adjustment for the highway asset. I'm just going to double check the number here for highway maintenance. The variance is a surplus due to the amortization expense. It was lower than expected in a previous year because of delay in capital assets and also being pushed into service by about $4.4 million. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Page 2219

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was hoping the Minister would help me understand what the threshold -- in our capital budget, there are a number of highways things. Sometimes, there is chipsealing; sometimes, there is completely rebuilding a highway, a bridge -- just kind of understanding the threshold of what this $85 million of highway operations is spent versus when it all of a sudden gets kicked into becoming a capital expense, what that threshold is. Thank you.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Page 2219

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to ask ADM Brennan to answer that. Thank you.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. ADM Brennan.

Page 2219

Brennan

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. This $85 million here, first of all, $55 million of this is amortization, so now we are down to $30 million. Basically, what that does is keeping our highways safe: snowplowing, minor surface repairs, blading on the non-chipsealed highways, and some minor repairs like that there. When we get into capital, it's more of the major items. When we start digging up a highway, replacing a culvert, doing extended length of chipseal, that is kind of what that covers there. The O and M budget is meant to keep the highway safe on the everyday; the capital budget is meant to improve it for a longer term. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2219

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Yellowknife North.

Page 2220

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. That makes sense. I always forget amortization is found in the O and M budget, so that is where that $55 million came from. Do we have an estimate of what it costs us to maintain a highway per kilometre? I recognize that is not an easy figure and that it varies depending on the highway and it varies depending on whether it's an ice road, but I am wondering if we, in some of our highways reporting, have a rough estimate of what we spend per year to maintain our highways based on kilometres or some sort of distance metric. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2220

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Page 2220

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have seen the numbers by highway. We had it broken down. I want to say it's a case-by-case basis. Every highway in the Northwest Territories, all 10 of them, have different costs associated with them and some based on some of these different gradings on the road. Some are lucky enough to have concrete; some of us are stuck with gravel, but they all cost different. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Page 2220

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Page 2220

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I am going to switch a bit. I have seen different numbers at different times of what the cost per kilometre is. Is there a cost built into replacement, as well? My understanding of the way roads work is that every 30 or 50 years they have to be replaced, and that is built into the amortization in a sense. We amortize the asset over a fixed number of years, but then we also have to replace it again. Is there anywhere in the budget where we are actually reflecting what it costs to replace a highway, beyond just the O and M? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Debates of March 1st, 2021

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