This is page numbers 5151 - 5186 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 know.

Topics

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is generally the fire departments who also take care of the emergency responder calls, and there is training available through the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. It was being done online during the COVID time, but I think it's gone back to in-person training now. So I would encourage the Member to connect with my colleague, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, for more information. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, why has the GNWT overspent its computer hardware and software budget for every year during the 19th Assembly, and how does the GNWT intend to more accurately budget its digital infrastructure spending? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member's observation. There certainly are budget lines that go department by department, which can make it difficult perhaps to look at it from a corporate perspective. I am, however, happy to say the Department of Finance is now putting in practice a way to better review and report on those specific items, computer hardware and software. That should make it easier to look at this from a government-wide perspective and ensure that we are obviously controlling those costs but also better servicing the public through having better control over what products we have and making sure the departments have what they need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the department is taking note and putting in better controls to look at the spending on digital infrastructure. And just to be clear, I'm not opposed to digital infrastructure. I want to be clear as to what my interest is in this. Since the very beginning, I've been asking about integrated service delivery of the public service, and this is one of the barriers to being able to do that properly.

So given the great need for interoperability to properly serve NWT residents, does the NWT intend to create an interoperability framework? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member must be reading my social media. I had the opportunity to attend an FPT recently where I think my lead word was "interoperability." It is something that, quite frankly, doesn't sound very exciting, not the sort of thing that gets somebody's political blood boiling, but is quite critical to the functioning of the services from the IT perspective and one that we need to do a better job of, Mr. Speaker. There's really no way around that. So I'm pleased to have some attention here. It's been brought to my attention by my officials that lack of attention, lack of awareness and understanding of what it is, of what this is, that doesn't give it the attention and therefore the clout that it needs. So happy to speak to this and happy to also say, in light of that, Mr. Speaker, we are putting forward, through the Office of the Chief Information Officer, a framework this fiscal year, and that will give guidance to get to a place where we can say that we have proper interoperability with that framework in place to provide the kinds of policies, programs, guidelines - that corporate structure that is required for it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And, yes, a good message to all Ministers, I am watching your social media very closely.

Mr. Speaker, I'm wondering how this framework will help reduce silos and how will it be ensured that departments are coordinating in their software and hardware purchases? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in many ways this is the culmination of why ISSS was created in the first place under the last administration and now is coming more and more to its fruition. Again, I know we've said this more times than I would like to count, COVID was not a help in this particular regard. It was certainly a big draw on this particular division to pause some of the transitions required during COVID. But now turning back to what should be regular business, the chief information office does create a business partner approach with departments. This is meant to have that cross-jurisdictional committee effort, bringing departments and representatives from departments in, to be able to discuss and look at what are the IT needs, not dissimilar to how it happens over on the capital planning side where ADMs from all departments come together to work on these requests. Now we'll be doing that on the IT side better as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that the government is doing is currently evaluating all of the redundancies and efficiencies of its programs and services through government renewable. And so I'm wondering if ISSS itself is involved in its own government renewal process focused on the interoperability of GNWT digital infrastructure and redundancy reduction between GNWT departments. Right now there is a lot of silos happening, there's a lot of fragmented digital systems, there's a lot of purchasing that's happening individually within departments, and so I'm wondering if they're doing kind of their own capture of inventory of systems throughout the government and evaluating how to bring those together? Thank you.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, Mr. Speaker, very timely. This is something that I think a lot of the provinces and territories are becoming very aware of and the importance of. It's a table that provinces and territories sit at together as a symposium because it's an issue that doesn't necessarily get the attention until something goes wrong. So very happy to be able to speak to it now, to give it that kind of attention it deserves in advance so we can try to be more proactive going forward. As I've said, Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Chief Information Officer at the helm of Information Shared System Services is now in a position to start to put those pieces together, to develop this kind of framework. We're not outside the government renewal process. ISSS is part of government renewal just as is every other division, and they've gone through the process of having their inventory done and can now get down to the work of ensuring that they are providing a framework for all of government to improve the IT services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's hard to find a specific budget line for Ebikes buried in the two and a half billion dollars so I was hoping the Minister of Infrastructure could tell us what is the total budget for this rebate program? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am so excited the Member's all charged up for this project.

Under the 2022-2023 Energy Action Plan, the GNWT plans to allocate some funds for the 2023-2024, for a pilot program, which is aimed at increasing the adoption of Ebikes and also mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions which means this is new money pending approvals during this session. It will be provided through Arctic Energy Alliance. Mr. Speaker, the program will be administered by Arctic Energy Alliance, and application criteria and details are yet to be finalized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

So I'm getting some funds sometime, Mr. Speaker; I was hoping for a little more detail. I guess, does the Minister have any more information of when and how someone will be able to apply for this? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Arctic Energy Alliance, the organization which will be delivering the program, is currently outlining the details, including the application criteria, the rebate amount, so this information will be finalized, publicly available, in advance of the April 1st, 2023 launch of this program. It's also important to note, Mr. Speaker, that this is a pilot program, which is aimed at better understanding both the public interest as well as impact on helping towards greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Question 1335-19(2): Frank Channel Bridge
Oral Questions

February 9th, 2023

Page 5158

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm whether all funding that is required for the bridge has been secured? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is speaking specifically for Frank Channel Bridge. In December, Cabinet, most of Cabinet, were down in Ottawa having discussions on some projects. You know, we've had very positive discussions with Transport Canada. So pending approval for funding approvals, permit applications, then this project will be submitted, with the construction commencing once these authorizations are received. So, yes, we did receive initial funding. It's not enough. Like many projects here in the territories, we've gone back and asked for more. So we are hoping to get some positive response from that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a liability issue. So what is going to happen after 2023-2024? That's why I asked that question.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell this House when will the Frank Channel Bridge be replaced? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I mentioned that we are looking for funding -- cost escalations on the bridge. Once we get that, we have discussions with Tlicho government to be able to work with us in partner to be able to get this bridge done. I wish I could put a set date when this will be completed or started. Right now we're pending approvals for funding. Once we get that, we know it's a priority. We know it's something that we need to get done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, this bridge, Frank Channel Bridge, is important for all of us, for all the Northwest Territories as mentioned. So I want to ask the Minister when was the last structural assessment completed on the Frank Channel Bridge? Thank you.