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 2218

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

March 1st, 2021

Page 2218

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. We will now move to corporate management beginning on page 239, with information items on page 241. Corporate management. Questions? Member for Frame Lake.

Page 2218

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. Can someone explain to me the increases for department management and finance found on page 240? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Page 2218

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Page 2218

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to get ADM Brennan to answer this.

Page 2218

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. ADM Brennan.

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Brennan

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. First, for the Department of Management, there was an increase there of about $200,000, which related to salaries for, I guess it's for an unfunded position, what we'd like to refer as an inaccuracy of amalgamation whereby there wasn't enough funding provided there. On finance, again, it was a funding that was moved in there to cover mostly, I think it was $600,000 for TSE chargebacks and some salary dollars, as well, for, again, an amalgamation inaccuracy. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Frame Lake.

Page 2218

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm trying to understand what an amalgamation inaccuracy is. Can I get an explanation of that? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Page 2218

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Minister of Infrastructure.

Page 2218

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will get ADM Brennan to answer that again. Thank you.

Page 2218

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. ADM Brennan.

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Brennan

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I think that, when amalgamation happened, there's been some budgeting issues across the department, and we're trying to clean up some of the internal budgeting that we have. Amalgamation happened fairly quickly, although it's been quite a while since then, but they hadn't been dealt with. We've been, under their new leadership, trying to deal with some of those areas to make sure that we have the funding in the correct locations to deal with the people that we have hired to do those things. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Just to be clear, is it the old transportation and public works amalgamation, Mr. Brennan? Yes?

Page 2218

Brennan

Yes. Thank you.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Member for Frame Lake.

Page 2218

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Yes. Thanks, Madam Chair. I was in the last Assembly, and one of the reasons why they were being amalgamated was basically a cost-cutting, cost-saving exercise. Some people did lose their jobs, and I know there were efforts made to try to retain people through whatever the name of that policy is that GNWT has. There were less people working for Infrastructure than there was for the two separate departments. I'm just trying to square that with adding more money into the budget two or three years later to try to rectify this. It just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Maybe someone can take another run at it. Thanks, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.

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Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. This was amalgamation a number of years ago where public works and department of transportation were put together. I'm not sure the history on that, and I'm just going to look at ADM Brennan to see if he knows some of the history. I'm looking between my deputy minister who might have been there the longest? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Is it going to be ADM Brennan? Okay.

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Brennan

Sure, yes. Thanks, Madam Chair. When amalgamation happened, and I was around then so I can speak somewhat eloquently to it, I hope, it did happen quickly based on the Cabinet decision to amalgamate the two departments for some reason, which I don't really know myself, but cost-cutting is as good as any other reason, I'm sure. When the budgets were formed, trying to amalgamate two big departments in a hurry, there were definitely some challenges going forward. The department has been looking at some, internally, how do we allocate resources to the people who are there. Yes, there were some positions cut during that time, but the positions that were left over weren't funded properly because errors were made in moving the budgets into the proper location at that time. Those errors have not been corrected until now. We're starting to address some of them in this budget here. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Frame Lake.

Page 2218

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. If there's any lessons to be learned from that is: you don't amalgamate departments quickly and think you're going to save a bunch of money. Yes. That's kind of what I was saying in the last Assembly. Okay, been confirmed. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Page 2218

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Page 2218

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. When we had the Premier in front of us to talk to us about Executive and Indigenous Affairs, I asked where payouts to former deputy ministers would be found, and she mentioned that they would all be found within the individual departments' budgets, so would this be where we would find payouts to deputy ministers or former staff in this area of the budget? Thank you.

Debates of March 1st, 2021

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