This is page numbers 3837 - 3896 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 indigenous.

Topics

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I think, Madam Chair, what would be best -- like I say, we're just finalizing that work, and so yes. I think probably in the consideration of the time and based that this is supposed to be a budget review versus an operational review, what I'd like to propose is that we are just finishing this up. When session is done, we will be finalizing the work for Cabinet, and then once that's been stamped off by Cabinet, how about I provide a briefing, a confidential briefing to Members, which I'd be doing anyway, Madam Chair, so that we can actually -- just on this topic so that we can actually spend -- because this is -- this is going to take way more time than -- we won't -- we'll be here all weekend. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Yes, thank you, Honourable Premier. And since Member from Yellowknife North is the chair of that committee, we'll make sure that that commitment is on our agenda. If you want to speak to the budget items, Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. No further questions. But if, you know, our negotiators and the government lawyers or the Indigenous government negotiators need any money to get all this policy work done from changing mandates, please come and ask for it. I think we need to fund them to the maximum possible to get this file moving. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Any further questions under Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs from Members?

Seeing none, executive and Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous and intergovernmental affairs, operations expenditure summary, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $7,515,000. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, committee. There are additional information items on page 129 to 131. Do Members have any questions in regards to those pages? Seeing none, thank you, Members -- oh, Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. In virtually every department, there's the page at the end, work performed on behalf of others. Now that we've got this deputy minister before us, I'm hoping -- or the Premier, someone can actually explain what -- where this money comes from, whether it comes from, whether it comes from the federal government or not, and does it just flow through us, and what is actually being done by the -- each -- this department but other departments to help implement these various agreements, because I've never really understood this or think that I've got clear answers before. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this money is work that we do on behalf of the federal government in the areas identified, the Gwich'in land claim, the Inuvialuit implementation funding, Sahtu, and the Tlicho. The money does come through EIA, and then the money is actually carried forward. Right now, it's not there. But you'll see, like in the 2021-2022 revised estimates, it's larger than the actual main estimates, and that's because the money doesn't disappear. It's for those tables, and then as the end of the year we do an assessment and then we carry it forward so it changes every year. The money is from the federal government to the Indigenous governments to be able to do the work that they need to do, so. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks. I think I have a slightly better understanding. So this money is actually used to fund the negotiations related to the implementation of each of these agreements, and presumably, we have to look at how we offer programs and services and our role in that and adjusting those in relation to each of these agreements; is that what this is all about? Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this money is definitely just for the implementation of the agreements that are already signed agreements. And one thing I will say as well is it's kind of been like kind of fluid, but we're actually looking at a framework and evaluation tool that will be worked on with them that we can actually evaluate how the implementation is going.

So -- and it -- and I did take it from -- from a negotiator, I think. But -- and -- when I talked to the department, they were already on it anyway, probably through the secretariat work at one of the tables. But basically we'd be looking at what are the federal government obligations, what's the GNWT obligations, and what's the Indigenous government obligations, and are we meeting those obligations. So that's what the money's for, and it doesn't disappear; it just keeps -- keeps going forward as.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Premier. Any further questions under the information items? Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Madam Chair. Another reason for Cabinet to keep things short is that their comment sometimes spur more questions in us. So I'm curious about this evaluation tool that the Premier has mentioned.

Within that, would there be, like, time -- sort of timelines and KPIs, key performance indicators, that then should they not be met, would that then, like, spark another level of action, or is it just sort of going to be, like, okay, great, we know it's not going well but there's not really anything with it or any teeth and I get -- and I'm -- I am not familiar with how this stuff works. So I really don't know what would happen in the event of an implementation sort of going sideways. So if the Premier could speak to that, that would be great.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

It's not a budget line, but I won't -- what I will do is get Martin to speak more a little bit about it, recognizing Martin is just as longwinded as I am. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister Goldney.

Goldney

Thank you, Madam Chair. So we do expect some of that ongoing work to improve our implementation by having more evaluation. But this funding really does support the implementation of the GNWT so we have the resources to participate in implementation committees with the other implementation partners to the agreement and identify the obligations and needs and inputs from other departments as well so we can make sure that where there are those obligations that they are being met. So it is an area of continuous focus and one that we're very sensitive to concerns that we're not doing it well enough hence the conversations happening around the evaluation framework and improving -- improving that work moving forward, so. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Great Slave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

So I can make it budget related because I'm assuming then that this implement -- or sorry -- this evaluation framework is actually more the work that you do as a department in general. So is the cost of that work -- because it's not this money from what I'm hearing from the deputy minister -- that -- so therefore the cost of doing the evaluation work is actually just born under the general costs of the work of the department and not a separate entity that needs to be funded under a specific line item? Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Honourable Premier.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

[Audio unavailable] trying to work with committee. Yes.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Further questions? Any further questions with the information items?

Seeing none, thank you, Members. Please turn now to the departmental summary found on page 109 and revenue summary information items on page 110. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.