This is page numbers 5695 - 5762 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

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5709

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Ms. Wickens.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5709

Wickens

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, in 2021-2022 we had a sole inquiry, and those costs were used to cover that.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5709

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Oh yes, no further questions. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5709

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Are there any further questions to Office of the Speaker from Members?

Seeing none, please turn to page 17. Legislative Assembly, Office of the Speaker, operations expenditure summary, Main Estimates 2023-2024, $545,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Statutory offices beginning on page 20 with information items on page 21 and 22. Questions.

Seeing no questions. Thank you. There's an additional information item on page 23. Are there any questions? If there are no questions, please turn to page 20.

Legislative Assembly, statutory offices, operations expenditure, Main Estimates 2023-2024, $4,926,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5709

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

March 7th

Page 5709

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Members. Please return now to the departmental summary found on page 5. Revenue summary information item on page 6. Questions. No further questions, committee, I will now call the department summary.

Legislative Assembly, operations expenditure, total department, 2023-2024 Main Estimates, $27,655,000. Mr. O'Reilly.

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 Legislative Assembly at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

The motion is in order. To the motion?

Some Hon. Members

Question.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of Legislative Assembly 2023-2024 Main Estimates, operating expenditure, total department, is deferred.

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

Committee, we've agreed to consider Tabled Document 813-19(2), 2023-2024 Main Estimates. We will now consider the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Does the Minister of Environment and Climate Change have any opening remarks?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Go ahead.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present the 2023-2024 Main Estimates for the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $2.671 million or 2.2 percent over the 2022-2023 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Environment and Climate Change while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.

Highlights from the proposed estimates include:

  • An increase of $1.7 million for barren-ground caribou research and monitoring offset by a sunset of $560,000 for previous increased funding for some Bathurst and Bluenose-East monitoring activities, for a total of $1.14 million in additional funding;
  • Additional sunsets of $3.598 million which includes $960,000 related to the Section 11 Conservation Agreement for Boreal Caribou, $2.259 million for the Nature Fund Protected Areas Agreement, $219,000 for the Approach to Unauthorized and Rights-Based Occupancy, $110,000 for Sustainable Livelihoods, and $50,000 for Flood Impacts. The department has a commitment for a bridge-funding agreement with the federal government for Section 11 and Nature Fund activities to offset most of these sunset amounts;
  • Forced growth funding of $1.091 million for forest management personnel, that includes fire crew extensions and two new fire crews given longer wildfire seasons;
  • An increase of $3.535 million due to a change in accounting treatment to move funds from the work on behalf of third parties fund to the operations and maintenance fund for the Alberta/Northwest Territories Bilateral Water Management Agreement, the Mutual Aid Resources Sharing Agreement and the Barren-Ground Research, Monitoring and Management Agreement; and,
  • A $219,000 reduction in funding for contract services.

These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly and vision of budget 2023 by:

  • Continuing work on the 2019-2023 NWT Climate Change Action Plan, and ensuring climate change factors are integrated into government decision-making;
  • Supporting initiatives that promote economic diversification and jobs in communities by supporting jobs related to protected areas, a sustainable forest industry, expanding waste diversion programs, and support for the traditional economy including the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program;
  • Contributing to the GNWT-wide efforts to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and support regional based decision-making through participation in the NWT's long standing co-management systems for land, water, wildlife and forests, and ECC's support for sustainable livelihoods;
  • Supporting the GNWT's work to improve food security through country food, land-based programming, effective management of harvested species, their habitat, and assisting with agricultural land uses;
  • Modernizing land management, including how we serve our land administration clients, supporting sustainable economic development and taking leadership on climate action;
  • Supporting efforts to reduce the municipal funding gap through the transfer of land to communities.

That concludes my opening remarks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Do you wish to bring witnesses into the House?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Yes, I do.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm pleased to be here today to present the proposed 2023-2024 Main Estimates for the Department of Environment and Climate Change. With me today I have Dr. Erin Kelly, deputy minister of environment and natural resources and acting deputy minister of Lands. She's on my right.

On my left is Julian Kanigan, assistant deputy minister of Environment and Climate Change, Environment and Natural Resources.

We also have Dr. Brett Elkin, assistant deputy minister, operations, for environment and natural resources.

And Blair Chapman, assistant deputy minister of operations for Lands.

So we may be switching people in and out, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

All right. Thank you. Can you just clarify again, I didn't get -- so the gentleman's last name to your --

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

-- Kanigan.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Kanigan.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Yes.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. And if you want to just introduce the witnesses, if you have to switch them out and just let me know if there's a question that you can't answer. I'm just going to let Members know that if we have to switch during the question time, I'll get the clerk to pause the time just while you're switching out so it doesn't eat up time if it comes to that. All right.

This is a new department, you know, there might be lots of questions. All right, so does committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?