Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? Motion is carried.

---Carried.

Consideration of the Department of Infrastructure is deferred.

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses. You may escort the witnesses from the Chamber. And we are going to take a recess. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

I will now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023. Does the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment have any opening remarks?

Yes, I do.

Go ahead.

Thank you. Madam Chair, I'm here to present the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's main estimates for the fiscal year 2022-2023. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $5.159 million, or 1.46 percent, over the 2021-2022 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.

Highlights of these proposed estimates include forced growth funding of $778,000, including:

• an additional $645,000 to address the increased demand on the senior citizen's supplementary benefit; and
• $133,000 to address the increased lease costs related to Aurora College.

The proposed estimates also reflect a total increase of $1.169 million to support new initiatives. This amount is comprised of:

• $1.010 million to support the continued implementation of the action plan to improve JK to 12 student outcomes;
• $159,000 to fund an additional position to support the Education Act Modernization Project.

The proposed estimates also reflect a total increase of $8.787 million for other adjustments which primarily includes:

• $1.984 million increase to support the 2021-2023 Northwest Territories Teachers' Association's collective agreement;
• $626,000 to implement enhancements to the 2022-2023 School Funding Framework to address the declining enrolments in Northwest Territories schools and to provide consistent and stable administrative and school support to small schools;
• $500,000 to continue an infrastructure fund to assist early learning and childcare programs with the cost of property improvement or new construction needed to offer new or expanded licensed programming;
• $322,000 increase to the Canada-NWT French Language Service Agreement;
• $298,000 to extend the existing Canada-Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Bilateral Agreement;
• $2.777 million for salary cost increases provided by the 2020-2021 Northwest Territories Teachers' Association collective agreement;
• $2.684 million for salary increases across ECE in related to the 2021-2023 UNW collective agreement; and
• $404,000 reduction to travel budgets implemented across the GNWT.

The increases are partly offset by a total decrease of $6.308 million reflecting funding scheduled to sunset March 31st, 2022 which includes:

• $4.255 million for Safe Return to Class funding allocated in response to the pandemic within education operations and educator development;
• $1.088 million one-time support for NWT students in response to COVID-19 with student financial assistance;
• $600,000 for one-time COVID-19 support funding which was federally funded for labour market programs;
• $115,000 funding associated with northern studies expansion;
• $211,000 establishment of NWT school and community child and youth care counsellors Phase 3 and 4, a transfer of associated funding from ECE to the Department of Health and Social Services;
• $33,000 for a portion of funding associated with northern distance learning; and
• $6,000 for one-time technology setup funding for quality assurance advisor and student records coordinator positions.

That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Do you have witnesses to bring in?

Yes, I do.

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Minister, will you please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Madam Chair. To your left, we have Sam Shannon, assistant deputy minister of corporate services; and to your right, John MacDonald, deputy minister. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome. Committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?

Committee, we'll defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity, beginning with corporate management starting on page 33 with information items on page 34. Questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I see here that about half of your budget, or $4 million of this budget, is chargebacks. Can I just confirm that that is the TSC chargeback?

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, that is correct.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have an oddly specific question. So here under ECE, it lists that we're -- you guys are paying TSC $4 million. Then when I go to the Infrastructure chargeback for ECE, it says $5.5 million. Does anyone have an explanation for why there's a $1.5 million difference? And I suspect perhaps it might be that the school boards also charge back TSC, and that's not showing up here but I may be wrong on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister of ECE.

Thank you. Aurora College makes up that difference. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

No further questions. Thank you.

Are there any other questions under corporate management? Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I see that there's one additional staff member for corporate management. Can the Minister inform us as to where that staff member is going?