Thank you for that clarification. Nothing further, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Are there any further questions from Members? Seeing no further questions.

Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, Department of Infrastructure, capital investment expenditures, asset management, not previously authorized, $3,086,000. Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, Department of Infrastructure, capital investment expenditures, programs and services, not previously authorized, $120,000. Are there any questions? Seeing no further questions.

Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, Department of Infrastructure, capital investment expenditures, programs and services, not previously authorized, $120,000. Does the committee agree?

Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, Department of Infrastructure, capital investments expenditures, total department not previously authorized, $3,206,000. Are there any questions? Seeing no further questions.

Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, Department of Infrastructure, capital investment expenditures, total department not previously authorized, $3,206,000. Does the committee agree?

Members, there is a schedule on page 10 that details the impact of capital estimates. This schedule is not a voteable item and is included as information only. Are there any questions on this schedule? Seeing no further questions.

As this is not a voteable item, we will continue on. Committee, do you agree that you have concluded consideration of Tabled Document 278-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025? Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 278-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 278-20(1) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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

Question. Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Tabled Document 278-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 3, 2024-2025, will be reported as ready for consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Tabled Document 279-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025, February 7, 2025.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 279-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025. Does the Minister of Finance have any opening remarks?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, briefly. I am here to present Tabled Document 279-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025. This document proposes a total appropriation increase of $74.725 million comprised of the following items:

• $16.9 million to provide funding to address the Marine Transportation Services projected deficit for 2024-2025;
• $14.7 million to support the increase in road construction and maintenance costs, community support for fuel resupply, and utilities and lease costs;
• $14.5 million to support health care operations in the NWT; and,
• $12 million to provide funding to reduce the impact of costs associated with the NTPC proposed rate increases.
• Additionally, we are proposing the following supplementary expenditures, which are supported by federally funded agreements, including:
• $5.4 million to provide funding for various health and social services cost share agreements;
• 2.3 million to provide funding for the Canada-Northwest Territories National School Food Program Agreement 2024 to 2027;
• $1.5 million to provide funding for the section 11 conservation agreement with Environment and Climate Change Canada; and,
• $1 million to provide funding in support of the Northwest Territories Wraparound Service Agreement.

These supplementary estimates also propose an adjustment of $50 million to the authorized short-term borrowing limit established under the Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2024-2025.

These supplementary estimates will ensure the Government of the Northwest Territories is in compliance with the Financial Management Act by reflecting the borrowing limit for debt less than 365 days for the 2024-2025 fiscal year at $750 million. The request is the result of increased fiscal pressures, including unforeseen expenditures, as a result of low-water and other climate change impacts, as well as continued operational pressures within the health care systems.

That concludes my opening remarks. I would be happy to answer questions that Members may have, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Does the Minister of Finance wish to bring in witnesses into the House?

Please, Mr. Chair.

Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers. Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.

Back again, Mr. Chair, we have on my left deputy minister of finance Bill MacKay, and on my right Mandi Bolstad, the deputy secretary to the financial management board.

Thank you. I will now open the floor for general comments on the Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures). I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The supplementary appropriations are rarely a subject of significant debate in the House because they are -- you know, they're required to address money that's already been spent. But I think given the uncertain times we're in, given that there's a push for fiscal sustainability and fiscal discipline especially so we have resources to invest in the right priorities, I think it's appropriate to kind of take a look -- a deep -- a more careful look at how money's being spent. And there's some -- everything in here is very important. I'll be clear on that. And no one would question things like Metis health benefits and chemotherapy drugs and things like that. But when you see the cost overruns of these things, they're significant, and you have to wonder is there a way we could have planned for this more prudently so these wouldn't be such -- you know, wouldn't be significant amounts of money, and also is there a way to apply more fiscal discipline to the management decisions around how some of these funds are being spent. And, you know, we shouldn't be the -- we shouldn't be in a situation where because, typically, we don't have many questions and it is almost like a rubber stamping exercise to approve supplementary estimates that you could just do whatever you need to and they're going to get approved anyway even if you go a bit over. So I think in this case in particular, I certainly will be having more questions as we go through the document. But until we have -- until we start to see some progress on balanced budgets, we do need to take a closer eye here.

My question for the Minister is what is the impact of this on the supplementary reserve that's established by the main estimates? Thank you.