Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Madam la Presidente. In August, this government announced a new approach to adjustment of the territorial minimum wage, where it will be increased in relation to the consumer price index and the average hourly wage in the NWT. How is this going to ensure people get a decent standard of living?

The factors resulting in the setting of a minimum wage were reviewed for several years running by a minimum wage committee, which included business and public representatives with ECE representatives making a report to the Minister that was then kept secret. A few facts from their reviews stand out...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So are all of these projects, you know, cropping up again in the 20232024 Capital Estimates? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 74819(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 20222023, be now concluded; and, that Tabled Document 74819(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Yeah, thanks, Mr. Chair. So is it the federal government's fine with us just pushing forward all of this money into future years and not delivering them by the dates that were promised? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for that. So what, if any, lessons have we learned, then, in terms of the size of the supplementary reserve? And I recognize that we wouldn't expect a Hay River flood every year but clearly with the climate crisis on us and so on, we need to find a way to set aside some more money to deal with this kind of stuff that's more likely to happen. So how are we going to try to manage this into the future? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thanks, Mr. Chair. So does this have anything, then, to do with our overbudgeting for capital that's happened over a number of years where, you know, we've been carrying forward 50 percent of the capital funds from year to year because with we just can't get the money out the door; there's not enough people to do the work, whatever? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks. Yeah, I think there's going to be a cash flow problem here. But can someone tell me where we stand at with the supplementary reserve for the operations side for 20222023? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So if you actually read the report from the committee, it provides the rationale for this recommendation. You know, the public accounts indicate that in 20202021, the GNWT collected $66 million in resource revenues but there's no note with that line item. There's a bit of a break down between minerals gross money its gross amount of minerals, oil, and gas royalties, licenses, rentals, and other fees, and then quarry fees. So it doesn't even indicate through a note that this is actually a gross amount. This is not very transparent reporting of revenues to our government. And...

Mr. Chair, well good thing I'm not an accountant. So I guess the bottom line here is that we have to this money is now showing up on our books as money that we're spending, and we've got $22.4 million less to work with? I am confused at the best of times. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Mr. Chair. Committee wishes to deal with Committee Report 3619(2), Tabled Document 74719(2), Tabled Document 74819(2). Mahsi, Mr. Chair.