Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2013-2014. This document provides for an increase of $3.553 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

The more significant items in this supplementary estimate include:

$2.75 million for the Department of Public Works and Services to advance funding from 2014-15 for the early completion of the Yellowknife General Purpose Office Building.

$453,000 for the implementation of a new Mineral Information Tenure System to support the administration of the NWT...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’re going to keep the capital plan at the agreed to rates. It will just be short-term borrowing to cover those costs.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, March 7, 2014, I will move that Bill 19, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2014-2015, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the intent of the fund is to allow us to address unanticipated pressures that we may not have anticipated in the budget. Many are demand-driven programs and you look at one of the big drivers is some of the significant costs related to services to adults and children in southern jurisdictions for example. It gives us a target. We try to hold it, along with our forced growth costs, we try to maintain that, but there are some costs that we can’t anticipate and there are costs that we have to be prepared to pay. Thank you.

Thank you. I don’t think you’re ever going to get away from potential variation. For example, we believe, and we have some of the numbers to show us, that there has been a significant switch from rolled cigarettes to loose tobacco because it’s considerably cheaper. Our cigarettes are the second highest in the county. We do our utmost to check and keep track of contraband cigarettes, counterfeit cigarettes as well. So we’re always going to have some variation. Plus we’re spending a considerable amount of money as a government trying to get people to quit smoking and that shows some signs of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, I’d just note that we’ve done the calculations as we’re sitting here. The 2014 budget that we’ve just approved is a 9 percent increase, roughly, over last year. It’s the largest growth department, as it is just about every government of the land.

There have been some efficiencies with the changes we’ve made to personnel, how it’s managed, the navigator we put in place, the back office work were with various regions, but there are some significant cost-drivers here, the scheduled air travel, the tickets, ticket prices that have increased, reduced flight schedules...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me Mr. Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Finance; Mr. Sandy Kalgutkar, deputy secretary to the FMB. Thank you.

There are a number of possibilities which we’re checking into. I can’t definitely give him a clear answer on that as the matter is still being checked into. I have gone back to the officials after our discussion in the House yesterday, as well, so I will, once again, have that information, when it’s ready, provided to the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, the Legislature and the Government of the Northwest Territories have learned over the decades that what seems to be the best way to manage the money is putting a base budget, and if you are over, come back when you can justify the expense as opposed to anticipating at the beginning of the year a number, however big it would be, and then hoping it’s enough and that the things don’t expand, just spend the money available in the budget. Hard practice has shown and I know, if I can use fire fighting for example, they used to have a very rich budget. It ended up, when there was a...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an annual event, but I will ask Mr. Kalgutkar if he would provide further detail as to the particulars of the process. Thank you.