Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, I don't think we're going to be in a position to confirm that every last penny is going to be paid by the GNWT. The idea -- and I mean, the cost of living is very high, and the GNWT is the government that provides a lot of the public provisions of services across the Northwest Territories and in all communities and provides funding to all communities. And I know there's a constant tension and a desire to see that funding formula perhaps changed or increased but, fundamentally, I mean, there was a question earlier as to what the GNWT's going to be doing to pay for this in the face of a, you know, $75 million budget now for fire suppression and calls for increases to the amounts we're spending in the evacuation response, which is going to be in the 10s of millions of dollars already. We also don't have that money necessarily sitting anywhere. We are trying very hard to make our evacuation emergency response one that we can see some reimbursement from the federal government. We have no guarantees that we'll get any of it back. I suspect that we'll get some of it back. I don't know how much. And until we get it from the federal government, we cash flow it. And if we don't have it, it means we take on debt to pay for it. So everything impacts residents in the Northwest Territories. That is constantly the balance of trying to ensure that we are doing our best to provide essential services to everybody without seeing any increases of taxes and without seeing any reductions of services. It is a fine balance. I've realized the community governments can't take on debt. That makes it even harder for them. I'm aware of that. But, you know, again, as to how much, if any, they will need to bear in terms of those costs, it is probably too early to say. I don't know that the city necessarily has -- and I'm speaking particularly about Yellowknife where I know there's been a significant undertaking, but other communities too have had some significant undertakings this fire season. So until we get a full accounting of what each community has spent, looking at what we are now then maybe more likely to see come in from the federal government -- and, again, I want to believe, given the conversations that have been had, something will come. It is not -- it's just too difficult for me to say what we might get from the feds, what individual communities have spent, and what the GNWT's then able to necessarily bear. I do want to -- I gave the long answer because I want to assure the Member that all of those things are under consideration. We're aware of them and, again, I know that the communities -- it's been a topic, it has been a priority of this Assembly for four years to ensure that communities are supported. So that priority hasn't gone anywhere. I just don't quite know how it will turn out at the end of this fire season. Thank you.
Caroline Wawzonek on Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on August 28th, 2023. See this statement in context.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
August 28th, 2023
Page 6386
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