Thank you. I'll go to Monfwi.

Yes, thank you. Yesterday we heard that most of these money are allocated to Indigenous government. So I just wanted to ask the Minister -- I know there is a decrease within the Indigenous language secretariat just as my colleague has mentioned. It's $1.4 million that's decreased in that budget. So I just wanted to ask so of this, how much is allocated to the Indigenous government of this fund?

Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, ECE receives $5.9 million from the federal government that is immediately distributed to Indigenous governments for the purposes of Indigenous languages. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. Yeah, no, I know many of these programs that I know that our constituents use these funds for culture and language. So it is important for them. That's how we maintain and try to keep our culture and language, you know, going. Because just like my colleague from Mackenzie Delta said, you know, it's -- it does have an impact, you know, now that younger generation are not speaking the language more. So it is important that it -- it would have been nice if there was -- if the budget was a little bit more than as it is here, especially for Indigenous language, knowing that there's more Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories. Half of the population -- over half of the population is Indigenous so it's just that in the future, I would like to see more money allocated towards Indigenous language and culture. So it's more of a comment. So thank you.

Thank you. Information item on page 60 to 63, is there any further questions? No further questions. Please turn to page 59. Education, culture -- you had your hand up? Continuing on. No further questions, please turn to page 59.

Education, Culture and Employment, language and culture, operations expenditure summary, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, $17,396,000. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. There are additional information items on page 64 to page 70. Are there any questions? Do not see no further questions. Thank you, Members, please return now to the department summary found on page 29 and revenue summary information on page 31. Are there any questions? Seeing no further questions, committee, I will now call the department summary.

Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditure, total department, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, $374,989,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the main estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour, by show of hands. Thank you. All those opposed, show of hands. The motion is carried. Consideration of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditure, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, total department, is deferred.

---Carried

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us.

Committee, we will now move to the next department. Sorry, would the sergeant-at-arms escort the witnesses from the chambers.

Committee, we'll now move on to the next department. What is the wish of committee? Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, would the chair please rise and report progress.

Okay, thank you. Before I rise to give progress, I just want to say thank you to the technical staff that are working right now, Andrew Jossa and Vince McLeod and John Goth. Mahsi for your time.

There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 93-20(1) and would like to report progress with four motions carried. And Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Can I have a seconder, please? Member from Kam Lake.

There you go. To the motion. There you go. To the motion.

Question has been called. Thank you. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? Motion passed.

---Carried

Report of Committee of the Whole. Third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk.