Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, okay, I guess this is above my pay grade or something where -- is this like some kind of holdback or something in case something goes wrong, and why are we being asked to put up money, $4.2 million, wouldn't it be the contractor that should have to do this? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, I would say it is probably comparable to the idea of a holdback if that is one way of -- if that's a more familiar way of putting it. But -- so you would hold on to the money until you're satisfied, a project of course reaches the stage of being considered to be fully complete, that doesn't necessarily mean that you are entirely releasing all funds under a holdback or the warranty amount. So this is the last, hopefully, tail end of that and with this summer season available, that should be enough to not only be substantially complete but in order to confirm that, indeed, all work was done to allow that this amount of money will not need to be carried forward further. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay. I know it's almost the end of the day, but why are we being asked to authorize $4.2 million if there's potential deficiencies on the part of the contractor? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Madam Chair, again, it's a carryover amount. So it's an amount that is under this contract for this work and, you know, this is our -- it's our asset right now. If there is work that needs to get done on it, we would need to ensure that it needs to. But that is the case, this is part of the contracting process. The money is still there. It hasn't been released. And it won't be released until we're sure that there are no deficiencies. If there's no deficiencies, the money does move out. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay. All right. So is this money for the access road off the highway to the community? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is the last of the main highway. So, again, the highway has substantial completion, but you would still have an amount under the contract owed, just wanting to ensure that, of course, you have done due diligence to ensure that there's no deficiencies. If there are, you do hold back a payment to the contractor. When we're assured that there's no deficiencies, then the final payments would flow. So that level of assurance and due diligence hasn't been done yet and so that's why we're asking to just carry this forward to ensure that that is complete. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay. All right, so I have another question, though, about something that isn't in here. Back in March of 2022, this House approved a sup that included $9.5 million for the Redknife River culvert replacement. And this was sup for 2021-2022, No. 3, and it was an unusual arrangement in that De Beers was putting up some of that money under a fisheries authorization for Gahcho Kue. But I see that GNWT now has an ongoing public engagement around this Redknife River, you know, replacement of the culverts and stuff and that closes, I think -- or closed just in April it looks like. And a contract for this work was signed back in August of 2022. What's going on and why is this not carried over in some way in this list? Maybe it's some other part of the sup but why is this work not being carried over in some way? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I know that this project has not disappeared certainly, but let me just turn to perhaps Mr. Courtoreille again and see if he's -- or perhaps we'll start with the deputy minister and see if he's aware of the state of the bridge or what amount has been spent. In short, we don't -- I don't necessarily have in front of me the cash flow of every project. So it may be that we have to go away and get the cash flow of the project because I know that project has not -- certainly not disappeared.

Actually, Madam Chair, I may have the answer now. There is work underway, and so it may well be that the amount that we have put forward has, indeed, allowed us to proceed under the 2023-2024 season. There's more work expected here in this coming summer season, but it won't be the end of the work that is required. So, again, I -- the portion that would be GNWT would be the amount that would need to be carried over if necessary, but it may well be that has been adequate to do the work that's required. I can get a full -- a detailed breakdown of the project. I just don't have it with me. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks. So maybe I'll just ask a simple question. Is the work done? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

The full work is not done, Madam Chair. There is -- it's expected to have -- to see further work this summer, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks. So where is the authorization to carry forward this money? Is it in this supplementary appropriation, or where is it? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Madam Chair, you'd only see carry over if the amounts that were previously approved were not fully spent. So, again, if there's no need for a carryover, you wouldn't necessarily see it here, but it certainly hasn't disappeared from the infrastructure acquisition plan, and then it would reappear on the capital estimates coming through for 2024-2025 later this year. Thank you.