Julie Green

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have learned since becoming an MLA is that if you want to judge the quality of the GNWT’s fiscal performance, you have to be tenacious. Even then, the answers may be elusive. Mr. Speaker, it doesn’t have to be that way. In the 2014-15 Budget Address, the Minister of Finance of that day said, “Our fiscal strategy is built on our commitment to adhering to our Fiscal Responsibility Policy and achieving the operating surpluses necessary to fund at least half of our planned capital investment.” He said the government would generate an operating...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on June 29, 2016, it shall be adjourned until Thursday October 13, 2016;

AND FURTHER, that at any time prior to October 13, 2016, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice, and thereupon, the House should meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just going to carry on with the points that I was making earlier. The Fiscal Responsibility Policy says that there was a requirement for financing infrastructure with 50 per cent of the operating surplus. In the public accounts which we examined for the fiscal year 2014-2015, their operating surplus was in round numbers, $95 million, and the infrastructure expense was in round numbers, $236 million. Using those numbers, it’s clear in fact that the infrastructure was not funded 50 per cent from operating surpluses, but many millions less. The point of this is: what...

I’m going to move on to the other component of my statement, which is that it is my understanding, after reviewing the public accounts, that in fact the government did not meet its own requirements in its Fiscal Responsibility Policy, meaning that it didn’t raise enough of a surplus to meet its spending criteria. When that happens, which is what happened in 2014-15, what are the consequences? I guess the government has to borrow more money, but what are the consequences if the government fails to meet its own requirements of its Fiscal Responsibility Policy?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in my statement today, it is very challenging to follow the government’s spending intentions from the budget address to the main estimates to the public accounts. My question for the Minister of Finance is whether he’ll commit to find a way of reporting on the GNWT’s fiscal performance using plain language so that the results are available to all of us? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance regarding the public accounts for the fiscal year 2014-2015.

Can the Minister confirm that government spending on infrastructure exceeded the operating surplus, as per page 8 of the non-consolidated public accounts?

What are the consequences for government not adhering to its own Fiscal Responsibility Policy by failing to finance infrastructure from 50 per cent of the operating surplus?

What is the cost of the additional borrowing required for infrastructure funding in that year?

Can the Minister commit to make the...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that offer. On that same page that the Minister is quoting from it says that the cash used for capital transactions was $236 million, in round numbers, and so the math just doesn’t add up; even I can appreciate that. I guess I’m back to my original question of what the consequences are when the government has not abided by its own fiscal policy. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister responsible for the Executive said during the budget debate the more communications officers you have the more they can contribute to open and transparent government. How does the Minister plan to ensure that more communications officers means more outreach and understanding, and how will those ideals be evaluated? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the Premier could elaborate on that answer about how he is going to involve Regular Members.

That’s everything, thank you.