On page 251, also, is the lease for the monthly payment or yearly payment within that lease for Stanton, also? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. The Department of Infrastructure looks after leases, as well, for the majority of the departments here. We are looking at such a large increase this year because we are looking at the Stanton legacy and the Child and Family Services program and the temporary student housing funding for Education, Culture and Employment. The increase this year is quite a bit. It's $3.4 million for increases in those facilities, but yes, we do cover a lot of the leases, including Stanton. I think that's what the Member is asking. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Chair, for clarity, the lease payments for Stanton, the main hospital and the legacy building that we don't own anymore, are part of this lease payment in here? Am I correct, Madam Chair?

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The quick answer is no, but I want to have ADM Brennan explain a little bit more on some of the details. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. ADM Brennan.

Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Member for Thebacha.

For clarity, Madam Chair, the lease payment for the legacy building is in this budget. What is the yearly payment for the lease for the legacy building that we do not own anymore? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On a yearly basis for the lease for the Stanton legacy building, we pay $1,821,000 a year. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Chair, that would be fine if it was owned by a northern business. I am very pro-business, and I believe in making sure that businesses survive in the North. When it's paid to an outside firm, these tremendous amounts, especially when we used to own the building, that is unacceptable. I don't know how people thought about these things, especially with the legacy building because we owned it. Now, we don't, and now, we are paying that amount of lease on it. We are using public funds, and that, to me, is very unacceptable. It's just a comment. I want to see what the Minister has to say about that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. When I was going through some of the briefings just five months into the department, I was looking at some of the costs that Infrastructure pays on behalf of, perhaps, other departments or just in general. Just a few minutes ago, I stressed some of my frustration on how much we pay for utilities in some of these Infrastructure buildings, but not only that, the leases. I hear the Member's concern. Sometimes, the decisions were made prior to this Assembly, and we are just having to work with whatever decisions were made in the past. Unfortunately, this is something that we need to look at further because that is a lot of money coming out of government coffers and taxpayers. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I understand it's past Assemblies that made these kinds of discussions. I hope that future Assemblies do not make the same mistakes, especially when you're not dealing with companies that are from the Northwest Territories. We have to stress that northern ownership is the ultimate when it comes to public dollars. I think that, many times, it's easy to grandstand on certain buildings, and red carpets are rolled out for these people who are not from the North. When it's a northern company, we always have to cross the t's and dot the i's and everything else to have a foot in the door. I think that is not acceptable. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister, did you have any comments?

Thank you, Madam Chair. No. I hear the Member's concern about the costs associated with this. I do have some notes, if I can share, on the Stanton Territorial Hospital renewal project, which is meant to accommodate growth projections within the next 30 years. It is, the Member is right, a partnership between the Boreal Health and GNWT. I believe the service provider for the facility is Dexterra. There are services, such as 72 long-term care beds, 18 extended care beds, and there are a number of programs that are going into this building. I will just leave it at that, Madam Chair. I think it was a comment, but I wanted to add just a couple more notes. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Any further questions under regional operations? I'm going to just go to the information items. If Members want to look at page 254, right up to 265. Those are the information items. If you want to ask questions on that, Members. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Infrastructure.