Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We actually have an increase of $115,000. Interpreter travel is $185,000. We have actually a sunset of electoral boundaries travel of $65,000; sunset of interpreter training travel of $5,000. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Are there any other questions under the office of the clerk?

Seeing none, Legislative Assembly, office of the clerk, operations expenditure summary, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $10,095,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We will now turn to the office of the Speaker on page 18. Questions? Comments?

Seeing none, Legislative Assembly, office of the Speaker, operations expenditure summary, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $511,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. We will now turn to page 21, statutory offices, operation expenditures. Any questions?

Seeing none, Legislative Assembly, statutory offices, operations expenditure summary, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $4,203,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. And there's an additional information item on page 24. Any questions? No. Thank you, Members.

Please return now to the departmental summary found on page 5 and revenue summary information on page 6. Member for Frame Lake.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion?

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion's carried.

Consideration of Legislative Assembly, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, operating expenditures, total department is deferred.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

We'll just take a couple minute break. I'll ring the bell just to remind everybody to come back.

---SHORT RECESS

I now call Committee of the Whole of the back to order. Okay, so committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023. Does the Minister of Lands have any opening remarks?

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

I am pleased to present the 2022-2023 Main Estimates for the Department of Lands. Overall, the department's estimates a proposed increase of $490,000, or 2 percent, over the 2021-2022 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Lands while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objective to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.

Highlights of these proposed estimates include:

• Initiative funding of $328,000, which includes
• $304,000 to fund two term legislative advisory positions to continue the work of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act regulatory improvement and engagement which is offset by a sunset of $288,000 for this initiative; and
• $24,000 in additional funding to support the implementation of Unauthorized Occupancy Initiative.
• Other adjustments of $399,000 comprise of $504,000 to reflect collective bargaining increases offset by the reduction of 105 to the travel budget;.
• An adjustment to increase amortization by $57,000.
• Further, in support of decentralization, a new training in occupational health and safety manager position is planned to be established in Norman Wells and will be funded from within the department's current appropriation.

These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly and supports the vision of Budget 2022 by:

• Reducing the municipal funding gap by working with communities through the process guide for transferring public land to communities;
• Continuing to address the long-standing issues of unauthorized occupancy throughout all the regions of the Northwest Territories;
• Enhancing protection of the environment and confidence in the regulatory system through review of the Project Assessment Policy;
• Continuing to work with the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs to review the Land Lease-Only Policy;
• Implementing customer service standards to increase the transparency and accountability of lands management in the territories;
• Continuing significant efforts to bring the Public Land Act into force by developing regulations and correspondent program readiness in implementing activities; and
• Working to advance land use planning activities in areas that do not currently have plans in place, including Wekeezhii, Deh Cho, and the South Eastern NWT.

That concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the Chamber?

I do.

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses in.

Minister, would you please introduce your witnesses for the record?

Thank you, Madam Chair. On the far right is Blair Chapman, assistant deputy minister of operations. And the person closest to me is Katherine Macdonald, director of finance and administration. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, and welcome.

The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?

Thank you. Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary beginning with corporate management starting on page 314, with information items on page 317. Questions? Member for Frame Lake.

Thanks, Madam Chair. So I think this is the place where there's one additional position and the Minister, in his opening remarks, mentioned that there was going to be a -- if I can find it, I think a safety officer position in Norman Wells, and I think we had another department before us earlier that was hiring a safe -- I think it was the Department of Infrastructure that was hiring a safety officer in Hay River. Can the Minister tell me if there's safety officers in any of the other -- any of the other community where Department of Lands operates? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister of Lands.