This is page numbers 2243 - 2298 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.

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. We're looking at the 2020-2021 to 2021-2022. There was an increase of $3.8 million, and it was basically an amortization adjustment. The various highway assets that weren't pushed into service in 2019 to 2020, which contributed to a surplus of $4 million, and as the creation of the Yellowknife Airport Revolving Fund where assets are now amortized, adds to the surplus. I'm sure this question will be brought up again once we get to the Yellowknife revolving fund. That's part of it. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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 Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

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

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Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Madam Chair. Like I said, accounting is not one of my strong suits, so my understanding is that amortization is to deal with assets being written off over time. You always see a lot, I want to see if the department does try to recover that, too, when items get decommissioned. Is that line item shown anywhere, where decommissioned equipment is being sold, and if there's any profits made from that? Where would that be in this area of the budget? Thank you.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to get ADM Brennan to answer this because I don't see it on this section of the summary. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Brennan.

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

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Brennan

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member is exactly right in his definition of amortization, and I might actually steal that for future use in terms of that comment. In terms of decommissioning of the assets, we do have a disposal policy. We have two disposal policies, actually: one for our goods and one for our lands. Any assets disposed through either of those policies gets recorded as revenues, so any revenue would show up on the revenue page in the main estimates. This page here is just for expenditures. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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 Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

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

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Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that response. I actually tried to look up this policy yesterday, even just now. Right now, that disposal of goods policy on the Department of Infrastructure website doesn't exist, so I'm hoping that the department can actually, probably, fix that and post that, and just let me know, get an update from maybe, hear back from the Minister on that? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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 of Infrastructure.

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. We do have a policy, and I'm quite happy to share the policy with the Member. It's a Cabinet-level policy that provides for disposal of improved real property assets that are surplus to the needs of the GNWT. We are responsible for disposal of buildings as part of this policy. I think it's important just to state -- actually, no, I'm not going to waste the Members' time in going into quite detail on what this policy is other than I think it's important to be able to share that with him. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

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

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Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the response. It sounds like, then, like that page not found where I tried to click on that is there by design, so maybe, it's probably best to get rid of this, then? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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.

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't think getting rid of it is the solution, but we can be able to have a look and share the policy. I think I've shared this in the past before with some of the other Members which we have offered sale to priority interest groups in preference: NWT public corporations get priority one; community governments, priority two; not-for-profit organizations, number three; and general public, number four. The current policies require that FMB must approve the sale of surplus if it's more than $50,000 of the appraised value property. I'm not sure if I'm answering the Member's question other than I don't think we should get rid of such a policy but maybe just share it. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. I think the Member was saying that the website link is broken. There's no attachment. Member?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Steve Norn

Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just so all the Members are aware, I was looking at three specific policies: there's infrastructure. I didn't mean to go down this rabbit hole. I didn't expect to do that, but Infrastructure Establishment Policy, Disposal of Goods Policy, and Disposal of Improved Real Property. One of those links work, and the other two don't. That's what I was trying to get at. Thank you. Other than that, I just wanted to ask those couple of questions. Right now, I don't have anything further. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Norn. Are there any further questions under regional operations? Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to go to page 251, highway operations. I'm just wondering if any of that expenditure relates to new technology to address any issues with our highways? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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 of Infrastructure.

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. You look at the increase. There is quite a big increase in the line item from previous mains. We are looking at a $4.6 million increase, which is reallocation maintenance on Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway because the winter road is no longer needed. There is an incremental increase for Highway No. 8. The huge part of this is the amortization adjustments for any of our highway assets. It's a surplus due to amortization expenses, which is lower in previous years because there's a delay in capital assets being pushed into service. There is quite a complex financial aspect in terms of how we recognize any of these assets and how we bring them into service. Are we bring them out of service? That all affects the amortization, otherwise known as depreciation in my time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member.

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

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Take a look at utilities, and I notice that there is an increase there, about $2.5 million, I think. What caused or what is the result of that number increasing? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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 of Infrastructure.

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

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. When I first became Minister of Infrastructure, I did not realize that the department covers all utilities in all the GNWT buildings. When it gets dark at night, you look around and see whose light are all open. You are like, "Infrastructure is paying for that." Anyways, the increase is $2.336 million; $750,000 of that is for increased utilities for the new Stanton hospital. The decrease is the $167,000. It's a net decrease in utilities for the Lafferty and N'Dulee ferries, which is the remaining funding for sewer pump-out and fuel at the two ferry crossings; and an increase of $1.789 million for utility funding for increased electrical costs. I have got the breakdown there. It is basically utilities for predominantly a lot of the buildings that the GNWT is responsible for. Thank you, Madam Chair.