Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. So I think I heard, then, from the Minister that these are predictions made by CRA, Canada Revenue Agency. Do we give them any background information? Do we have any influence/input into how these projections are done? Because they don't seem to be very accurate. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So this is information that is also -- there certainly is supporting information that comes from the Department of Finance's fiscal policy office, and -- I mean, simple fact is that in the last couple of years in particular, you'll -- if you look back to the 2021 Actuals, they're quite down around $3 million. Again, there was a significant drop in -- in revenue across the board at the beginning of the pandemic and through the summer and spring, and that's again where, you know, with the volatility there, it was quite obvious that we were anticipating things to not recover as quickly as they did.

It is difficult to predict, Madam Chair, and the fact is that we have a fairly small -- at the end of the day, this is actually a very small number to be -- and a small number of payers from whom we're trying make those predictions. So they don't come out in the wash as they might if it was a larger economy with more people paying. It would kind of even itself out. That's not the economic situation that we are in. And companies that are doing poorly might well have been, you know, finding -- or looking at opportunities to -- to use, you know, past years credits in bad years in the last couple years. So all of which is to say it's difficult to predict, but we do certainly do our best between both ITI and Finance working on this and in conjunction with information with Canadian Revenue Agency. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Yeah, just I'm going to make a comment. We've got to find better ways to stabilize our revenues. If they bounce around like this like yo-yos, that's not good in terms of sound financial management. I raised this probably now five years in a row. We need to find other more stable forms of revenues other than corporate income tax, like a capital tax, resource tax, capital investment tax. There's other mixes that we need to be looking at to better stabilize our revenues. And I keep saying this and nobody listens. So I'll just say it again. Thanks, Madam Chair. That's all I have.

Thank you. Are there any further questions under the total -- or the departmental summary?

Seeing no further questions, committee, I will now call departmental summary Finance, operations expenditure, total department, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $1,926 million -- where am I? That's the total. Sorry, my script is, like -- it's way too late. This is how I start to end the night every night, with a giggle.

Department summary, Finance, operation -- or sorry, yeah. Main Estimates, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $335,239,000. Does committee agree?

The motion in order. To the -- yeah. The motion is in order. To the motion?

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Consideration of Department of Finance 2023 -- 2022-2023 Main Estimates, operations expenditure, total department, is deferred.

---Carried

Thank you, Minister. Thank you to the witnesses. Thank you to the interpreters and all the staff that stayed late with us today to get this done.

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

What is the wish of committee, Mr. O'Reilly?

Tonight, thank you. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

The motion in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

---SHORT RECESS

Order. May I please have the Report of Committee of the Whole. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bills 23, 29, and 38; Committee Report 24-19(2); Minister's Statement 202-19(2); Tabled Document 561, 567, 578, and 579-19(2), and would like to report progress with two motions. And, Mr. Speaker, I move that the Report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Do we have a seconder? Member for Great Slave. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Friday, March 11th, 2022, at 10 a.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 8:32 p.m.