Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Next, I have Mr. Roland.

Then we will proceed with that after a break.

---SHORT RECESS

I call Committee of the Whole to order. We have a number of things on our agenda for Committee of the Whole. What is the wish of the committee for today? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The motion is in order. The motion is not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those are some fine contributions that we received from other jurisdictions and other governments, I guess. Although the Minister didn’t take the opportunity to respond to the assumption that the costs were in the $1.5 million range, could the Minister please commit to provide to this House if those extraordinary costs were due to the problems with efficiently running the North Slave Correctional Centre? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. On the list for general comments, I have Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Villeneuve and Ms. Lee. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice today. Mr. Speaker, the Premier shared with us a process whereby money gets approved in our system and had indicated that you can’t just add money back into budgets or spend money at will. It needs to go through a process to be voted on and to be debated and consulted on and so on. I would like to ask Minister Dent a question today, because I find it curious that cost overruns in one area results in, what I think to be, cuts in another area. I would like to ask Mr. Dent what process he went through whereby...

Thank you. First on the list for general comments, I have Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well then I really have to question what this entire debate in Committee of the Whole with respect to department’s budget is all about if we have no opportunity as Members to affect any change in that budget. As Members all know, we’re already looking at expansion of government presence and government roles in various regions throughout the Northwest Territories for the upcoming fiscal year that are nowhere indicated in the budget. So I’m a bit disappointed with the Premier’s answer on that. All I’m asking for is that if the decisions were made on good and sound...

Welcome back, committee. I will call Committee of the Whole back to order. We are on the NWT Housing Corporation. I will ask Minister Krutko if he would like to bring in his officials. Is the committee agreed?