Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I had a question for the Minister of Finance, but I just want to say what the Minister from ECE said about having plans to move forward and taking steps to be more open and transparent to the people of the Northwest Territories. They deserve that. With that, my question to the Minister of Finance is: would the Minister commit to having the Department of Finance do more public communications around the budget process, including supplementary appropriations? Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. As a new Member of this House, I have a steep learning curve, and I know a few of our other Members do, as well, mainly in regards to the budgeting process of the GNWT. One area in particular that stands out is our Assembly's usage of supplementary budget appropriations. Now, this terminology is just fancy language to mean additional government funds being allocated to certain departments due to unforeseen circumstances or unforeseen expenses that were not anticipated during the original development process, or new federal funding which was not previously included.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes there are extenuating circumstances which more funds are needed by some departments, like in 2014, for example, when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources required supplementary appropriations due to the severity of the wildfire season that year, which necessitated allocation of an additional $47 million to ENR once that fire season was over. There is no doubt that those extra funds were needed in that instance.

Mr. Speaker, overall, during the 18^th Assembly, there were a total of 29 supplementary appropriations brought forward by the last government, over four years. These were split between infrastructure and operations. To put that in perspective, that amounts to about seven appropriations bills being passed each year during the last Assembly.

We've only begun the 19^th Assembly, and already we have passed our first supplementary appropriations bill. I've heard many questions from my constituents over what these supplementary appropriations bills are for, and I will have questions for the Minister on how we can better inform the public about how the government spends their money. It's really important that we spread that message of being transparent and make sure that the government shows that they're being transparent in how we do our business. With that, that will conclude my statement. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker, and I will have questions for the Minister of Finance shortly.

Madam Chair, I request that the chair rise and report progress.

I move that consideration of Tabled Document 16-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No, 3, 2019-2020 be now concluded and that Tabled Document 16-19(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 16-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2019-2020. Mahsi cho, Madam Chair.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Tabled Document 12-19(2), 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories has been tabled in this House;

AND WHEREAS the 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories requires detailed consideration;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Hay River North, that Tabled Document 12-19(2), 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Thursday, February 13, 2020, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Hay River North, that Tabled Document 12-19(2), 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. And, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker

I don't know if there is any foreshadowing here, but did I just get a promotion to Minister? No? I just want to make sure. Thank you to the Minister for his response. I just want to make sure that there is more communication as well, and to have more meetings with our DEAs, just to make sure there is the open line communication, to make sure that I don't have to come back and ask these questions, and to work as a team.

My next question: would the Minister be open to working with our DEAs to grant their wishes and find ways to keep their surpluses?