Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witness into the Chamber.

Thank you. Would the Minister please introduce the witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left, Bill MacKay is the deputy minister of the Department of Finance. And on my right, Terence Courtoreille is the deputy secretary to the Financial Management Board.

Thank you. I will now open the floor for general comments on the Minister's statement. Do any Members have any general comments before we begin? Thank you. Go to Mr. Kieron Testart, Member of Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm pleased to support the interim estimates. I see them as noncontroversial and essential to keeping the lights on for the public service until we get into the actual budgeting process in May and June. They'll be other matters, financial matters, that the House will discuss that I'll have more to say. But at this time I'm content to support these and will reserve comments. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further general comments from any Member? Thank you. Thank you, Member. Seeing there's no further general comments, we will review the interim estimates by department. Please turn to page 2. Does the committee agree to forego general comments on each department? Committee? Thank you.

We will begin with the Legislative Assembly. Are there any questions from committee? Okay, I don't see any hands going up. I'll move on. Summary of interim estimates, item 1 Legislative Assembly appropriation authority required, $5,820,000. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Committee, we will continue with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Are there any questions? I will go over to Shauna Morgan, Member of Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my question is around funding for early learning and child care. I know that the department is still trying to work out a new funding mechanism for early childhood partners and that will require some upfront payments to child care providers by the end of the first quarter. And so given that my understanding is that this is still not settled yet, the new funding mechanism is in flux, can the government give us any reassurance of how they know that the estimates here will be enough to make sure that we can keep our child care providers operating and afloat given that the new funding mechanism is still to be decided?

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister Caroline Wawzonek to the question. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, being an interim budget does mean that the departments are getting sort of roughly 20 to 25 percent of their usual -- or of their expected amount based on last year's budget, but it's not including any potential changes that may come. Any potential changes that may come as a result of the priorities setting or other initiatives that that would be part of the budget that's going forward in May and June, but there certainly is -- you know, this will give them the opportunity to at least begin their work as of April 1st. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go back to the Member of Yellowknife North.

So the government can confirm that the estimates here are based on the previous funding arrangements with child care providers and not on any estimates of a new funding mechanism?

Thank you. Moving to the Finance Minister.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is based at this moment on the agreement as it stands with Canada. I can't speak to what discussions or whether discussions are ongoing with education, culture and employment but just that at this point this is based on the agreement as it is. Thank you.

Going back to Member of Yellowknife North.

Okay. That's all the questions I have at this moment for -- around Education, Culture and Employment. I assume they'll be an opportunity to return when we get to other departments if -- okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Any further questions from Members? Don't see any hands. Okay, so summary of interim estimates, item 2, Education, Culture and Employment, appropriation authority required $127,721,000. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Your committee will continue with the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Is there any questions? Yes, I'm going to go to the Member of Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was wondering if, similar to my colleague from Yellowknife North's question around ECE, if the dollars for wildlife and forest management are based on previous contracts for fire suppression, aviation contracts, that sort of thing, from the previous year or if there are increases? Thank you, Mr. Chair.