Thank you, Madam Chair. I think the Member's asking if there's a point of presence, and that is -- that's what there will be. There will be a point of presence into the community. Fibre into the home is provided by a certain internet service provider which would be, for example NorthwesTel, but there are other internet service providers and particularly in the Beaufort Delta area. But once they have the point of presence, they can then take that fibre into a home. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Okay, thanks. I guess maybe I'm jumping the gun here, but has that party been identified, and are we facilitating that in any way? Thanks.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. What I was hoping to find quickly is that I know that NorthwesTel was under an obligation to the CRTC in order to provide fibre to the home and have been providing updates of the progress on that project now for some time. I don't on my fingertips know where -- whether they are under the same obligation for this stretch. I anticipate that they may be. I'll commit to find that, Madam Chair. I don't -- I don't see it here on the list of communities that NorthwesTel is obligated under. So they may not -- oh no, Madam Chair, I take that back. They are on the list of upcoming communities that NorthwesTel has on their every community project, which I think would support greater connectivity. The details of that would be with NorthwesTel, not mine though. Thank you.

Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, okay. Yeah, I'm kind of just in this because I don't think the promise of the Mackenzie Valley fibre link really panned out because, you know, when it was sold to MLAs, and I wasn't here, the idea was that this was going to lead to a faster, more affordable, more accessible internet. I don't think it's actually done that in some cases for some of the communities along the route. So it sounds like this -- Tuk is going to be done a little bit differently, or is some magic pot of money that's going to make this happen, is that the case? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, there would be no fibre to the home in any of the communities along the Mackenzie Valley fibre line but for the existence of the Mackenzie Valley fibre line. And then Tuktoyaktuk will be in the same position, that once the fibre does reach the community, the -- what again, I can't speak for CRTC, nor for Northwestel, but my understanding of the expectation between those two parties is that this is a service that NorthwesTel is responsible for, that they've committed to 50/10 for all communities and, indeed, have, I think, delivered a majority of the communities at this point, particularly along the fibre line but also in some of the South Slave communities.

So I can certainly get that and have an update for Members from Northwestel and ask them to provide that directly as to what they've done but, again, without the fibre line to begin with they wouldn't have been able to accomplish what they have. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.

Yeah, thanks. I would appreciate the update. Look, I get that this is kind of the backbone thing, but when the project was sold, it was that people were going to get faster, cheaper internet in their homes, and I don't think that that's actually happened in some of the communities. So anything we can do to help make that happen, great. Because it -- I don't think it's really panned out the way that it was sold, so. And I'll just leave it at that. Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Department of Finance, Management Board Secretariat, infrastructure investments, $1 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you. Please turn now to page 36 for the Office of the Chief Information Officer with information items on page 37.

Department of Finance, Office of the Chief Information Officer, infrastructure investments, $2,847,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you. Members, please return now to the departmental summary found on page 33.

Department of Finance, 2024-2025 Capital estimates, $3,847,000. Does committee agree? Thank you.

Does committee agree that consideration of the Department of Finance is now complete?

Thank you. Committee, we will now consider the Department of Health and Social Services which begins on page 39. We will defer the departmental totals and review the estimates by activity summary beginning on page 40, with administrative and support services, with information items on page 41. Did you need to switch out your witnesses?

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witness from the Chamber.

Minister, would you please introduce your witness.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Joining now at the table is Perry Heath who is the director of infrastructure and planning for the Department of Health and Social Services.

Welcome. Members, we are on Department of Health and Social Services, administrative support services, infrastructure investments, $1 million. Does committee agree?