Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. You know, I guess, well I would like to know how much we actually spend on our server infrastructure. I believe it's something actually higher than $2.5 million, and if not, tens of millions to replace it. But the whole point of this was leading to a question of I was wondering if the GNWT has looked into any cloud-based computing. I know that the federal government now has a cloud-first policy after the Treasury Board did an analysis and said that, you know, getting rid of their physical servers and switching to a cloud-based model would save them tens of millions of dollars. A lot of governments are going in this direction. It's a lot cheaper. I know there is security concerns, and you have to find a company that servers are in Canada. But I'm just wondering if any analysis is done on the millions of dollars we spend a year on physical servers to make a switch over to cloud. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to ask Ms. Chesworth if she can respond. Thanks.

Thank you. ADM Chesworth.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, and I have raised this with the office of the chief information officer, and I know they're looking into it. And if the lines get blurred, I know as Health goes out and obtains new software, it may or may not be served on our physical servers, or it may be -- the lines get blurred yet we spend tens of millions of dollars in this area. I guess my next question is considering the money that Infrastructure spends every year on what I consider IT, or what is actually labelled IT, has there been further consideration about whether this should be rolled into Finance? It seems that the overlap between ISSS and the chief information officer just gets more and more every single year and, yeah, I'm wondering if those conversations are happening, whether the TSC is best suited with ISSS? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, it's a discussion that the whole-of-government would take, would have that discussion and make those decisions. It's not, you know, up to me as Minister of Infrastructure who's responsible for technology shared services and Minister of Finance. But, I mean, it's a whole-of-government approach. It would need to be -- we'd need to have further discussions. So no, I don't think Minister of Finance would like anything further added to her portfolio. I can't speak for her but I would expect not. So, you know, we're not at that discussion yet. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Yeah, thank you. And I guess I'll just -- one last question about the $2.5 million under information technology projects here. So is the current split of when I see something in Finance and when I see something in Infrastructure just a hardware-software split? Is it all of -- does Infrastructure ever have software show up in this IT budget line or would this -- well, yeah, I guess the Minister's going to get back to me whether this is all evergreening or current physical infrastructure. But is that the general split, that you guys get the hardware and they get the software? Is that what's happening with this money? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Infrastructure.

Madam Chair, I think the Member answered his own question. Yes, we do look after the hardware. So it would be -- yes. Thanks.

Thank you. Are there any further questions, comments, under programs and services? Seeing none, Infrastructure, programs and services, infrastructure investments, $50,057,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Members. Please return now to the departmental summary found at page 52. Member for Kam Lake.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is carried. Thank you, committee.

---Carried

Is the committee prepared to move on to the next department?

Thank you, committee, and thank you to the Minister. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Committee, we will now consider the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.

Committee, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is included in the capital estimates as an information item, and the totals are not voteable. We will continue to review these estimates as we have for the previous considered departments; however, we will not vote on the totals. If Members have comments or questions, they can be raised at the appropriate time. Does the Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation wish to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

Yes, I do.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witness to the Chamber.

Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses.