Thank you, Minister. Member from Frame Lake.
Debates of May 27th, 2025
This is page numbers of the Hansard for the 20th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.
Topics
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th, 2025
Julian Morse Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I just want to be very clear that, you know, I -- I'm not necessarily suggesting that that needs to be the case with this contract. It's more just ensuring that we've got robust controls around our contracting. Just knowing that, you know, we see costs overruns a lot. And it's important to note that, you know, a lot of the projects that the government does, virtually all of them, are for essential infrastructure, like this, like a school. Like, this is not something that MLAs are going to turn around and say, you know, we're just going to have to cancel this. Because they absolutely need a school in Tuktoyaktuk which means that the government, to a certain extent, is beholden to building it virtually whatever the cost, and that puts us in a really difficult situation, and I think that's part of what has led us to be in this situation where we are constantly frequently going over budget on projects. And so I think we do need to be really careful about ensuring that we have robust controls in place. And also that we're honest with ourselves about budgeting. I mean, if -- you know, I know that we're -- we try our best to learn from previous experiences, but it just seems to me -- I made statements about this in the past, and I'll digress it after this, but, you know, that it does seem to be something that happens quite frequently. We see a lot of supplementary estimates come in, and this one is just, in particular, quite high, and we see a lot of that. And so I think it is our responsibility as public government to do what we can to ensure that we're taking steps to prevent it as much as possible. So I'll leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Once again, my colleague has asked all the questions that I needed to for that one. Thank you.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you. Moving on. Seeing no further questions, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026. Department of Education, Culture and Employment, capital investment expenditures, education, not previously authorized, $32,983,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, committee. Languages and culture, not previously authorized, $232,000. Are there any questions?
Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026. Department of Education, Culture and Employment, capital investments expenditures, languages and culture, not previously authorized, $232,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, committee. Total department not previously authorized, $32,215,000. Are there any questions?
Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026. Department of Education, Culture and Employment, capital investments expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $32,215,000. I'll make a correction to that number. It's $33,215,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, committee. We will now consider Department of Environment and Climate Change on page number 10.
Wildfire and forest management, not previously authorized, $437,000. Are there any questions?
Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026. Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investments expenditures, wildlife and forest management, not previously authorized, $437,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, committee. Total department, not previously authorized, $437,000. Are there any questions?
Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026. Department of Environment and Climate Change, capital investments expenditures, total department, not previously authorized, $437,000. Does committee agree?
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, committee. Committee, we will now consider Department of Finance on page number 11.
Management board secretariat, not previously authorized, $478,000. Are there any questions?
Seeing none, Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No. 1, 2025-2026. Department of Finance, capital investments expenditures, management board secretariat, not previously authorized, $478,000. Does the committee agree?
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, committee. Office of the Chief Information Officer, not previously authorized, $2,903,000. Are there any questions? To the Member from Yellowknife North.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. With the $832,000 to increase the appropriation to reflect changes in project timelines for the NWT courts modernization project, so usually if there's delays in a project, then it says that an offsetting amount was lapsed and we're just sort of bringing forward a previous amount that was lapsed, but it doesn't say that in this case. So can the Minister confirm whether or not there were any lapsed amounts as a result of delays or what is the reference to changes in project timelines mean? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on this one, we -- the project timeline certainly has changed over a bit of time. So previously, when this was approved for a three-year project starting in 2023-2024, it was approved as $1.715 million, and that has become clear, as the project's got underway working with the chief information officer, that this would be insufficient so there's been now an additional amount added to the budget, and it's been approved over four years which has extended the project further, and that is leading to some of the funding that was previously allocated to 2024-2025 moving over to 2025-2026, specifically that's the $832,000. So it's that amount that's aligning with the longer timeline and the somewhat more complicated or somewhat bigger -- not more complicated but the larger budget. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. So to clarify, this $832,000 is being sort of carried over from 2024-2025 but it wasn't authorized under the 2024-2025 budget? Can the Minister clarify? Thank you.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th
Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sorry, Mr. Chair, I realize my answer wasn't very clear. So originally, this was a three -- projected to be a three-year project. It is now projected to be a four-year project first, on the firsthand. And secondly, there was an additional amount that was added to the project, not in this supp. But with the addition of the extra year on the project, the original timing of some of when things were being spent has changed. And so originally, the total projected -- the total projected spending now for 2024-2025 is just shy of $200,000 which leaves a balance available of -- for spending on other projects. Some of that went to other IT capital projects because they weren't -- they did have needs in the 2024-2025 year, but there was a balance of $832,000 on this project that can now move forward on to year 2 of 4 for 2024 -- or sorry, for 2025-2026. That's what is being requested here. So take this amount that was not spent in 2024-2025 on this courts modernization project, move that to 2025-2026 which aligns with the needs of the project in this current fiscal year. Thank you.
Committee Motion 77-20(1): Concurrence Motion - Tabled Document 341-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 1, 2025-2026, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 27th