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

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. All right, so committee, we will now look at regional operations beginning on page 92, with information items on page 93. Questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Madam Chair. So is this just kind of moving over the regional operations that used to be in the Department of Lands and creating a division, or whatever, within the new department; no other changes, is that's what's happening here? Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister because there's a little bit more to the answer. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister Dr. Kelly.

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I mentioned a little bit earlier that Lands and ENR dealt with regional funds differently. This right now is regional operations, and it will have the ENR regional operations in it. But the way that ENR did their main estimates before the regional piece was part of, for example water, or part of wildlife, and we need to do the work through optimization to pull out the funding that is going specifically to the regions and put it in here. So this will ultimately become regional operations for the whole new department but right now for this main estimates, it's the Lands funding and we need to do the work through optimization to add in the ENR regional ops funding, which currently is in the individual sections that we've already been going through. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Okay. Thanks, Madam Chair. So that shuffling around of money, is that going to be done then through a supplementary appropriation, or do we get like one of these interactivity fund transfer letters? How is this going to be done as the department and the staff work through this optimization process. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

So it'll be through internal transfers. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Okay, thanks. And are those -- you know, we get these letters about interfund transfers from some Ministers usually kind of on the capital side, if I remember this correctly. So is there any kind of heads up to Regular MLAs about when it's on the O and M side, and how does the Minister tend to communicate that to the Regular MLAs? And I'm not saying every time you shift a dollar around, but having some kind of plan or, you know, when you figured it out, some communications with us, I think that would be helpful. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

So right now the process would be through the business plans, realizing that this is probably the last time that we're dealing with the budget this Assembly. But it's usually done through the business plan process and then mains. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Okay, thanks for that. Can I go get some kind of a commitment, though, from the Minister that when the department has figured this stuff out, this optimization stuff, you got some better org chart, you got figured out how you're going to realign some of this stuff, that there could be something wrapped up and sent to the Regular MLAs so we know what happened? Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

So the process right now is we are looking at just transferring the money into that from the internal transfers. So as we move, we're transferring the money. So we can do a committee briefing should the Member wish. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Okay, thanks, Madam Chair. I think we'll have to put that one in the hopper.

So I understand, like lands has lands use inspectors; water has some water inspectors. Is everybody going to be like one happy family now and cross-appointed, or how is all of this inspection stuff going to happen? Thanks, Madam Chair. And be coordinated. Thanks, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

For that detail, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy minister.

Dr. Kelly

Thank you, Madam Chair. There's ongoing discussions. There will be cross-appointment most likely with the water resource officers, the lands inspectors, and environmental protection officers. But one of the concerns that has been brought forward by those folks is that we don't want super inspectors or those that also have wildlife forest management, other appointments. We want to make sure that the people are doing things that are related to the jobs that they're doing now. So we are still looking at that, and for sure there will be appointments that make sense for the inspectors and the water resource officers and the lands inspectors will be working very closely together. As for the additional appointments, we'll look at those on a case-by-case basis depending on interest and also needs in the regions. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.