Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am happy to see all of the money we can get under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. I believe that some of this money is a carry-over, meaning we did not get it out the door. Can I just confirm that is the case? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Madam Speaker, perhaps the deputy ministers have been doing a good job. We've asked them to serve on a board at the expense of their other work, and we all know that no such senior management is overworked. There is some serious work that needs to be done here. There is a level of expertise that is not necessarily found in the public service. I believe a third-party review needs to be done. I believe there needs to be scholarly research. We really need someone who is not the GNWT or its senior management to look at the Power Corporation. Is the Minister willing to conduct a third-party review...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member raises a very valid point in that we can't simply keep bringing motions that reduce an amount by dollar by dollar because that could then be used as a tactic to delay. However, this is $3 million, which is a significant difference. The first motion was to remove all of the GNWT's portion of the COVID secretariat. This is a different amount. I believe that there is some room within the rules to bring a difference of $3 million. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm very happy to see that this Minister is committed to a governance review. One of the fundamental problems with this governance review is we as government are asking our deputy ministers to review themselves and see if there is the proper accountability. Much of the Power Corporation's bookwork is done behind closed doors. Much of this review and these decisions come to Cabinet, which is also behind closed doors. My question for the Minister is: given the just inherent conflicts and trouble navigating accountability of a non arm's-length corporation that's supposed to be, will the GNWT do...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that $5 million not previously authorized be deleted from the Health and Social Services operations expenditures, COVID secretariat in the Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Here we are, four and a half years later, we still have a power corporation that has not addressed its underlying financial problems. We still have a board of deputy ministers. No governance review has been conducted. We now, once again, have a new Minister who has been passed the responsibility of completing this work. I believe this Assembly must look into the governance review, must conduct a full review of the Power Corporation, and let's look at some of those underlying problems that means we continue to have an arm's-length corporation that runs a deficit year after year. Thank you...

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to begin by saying I am very happy with our COVID response to date. We have one active case right now, and it was a scary case a couple of weeks ago when we were risking community spread. By all accounts, it looks like our response at our borders has been great to date. We are one of the best jurisdictions in testing. I am very grateful we are getting these staff. I have no issue with the COVID secretariat as a whole. I think it is needed. I do have issues asking the Legislative Assembly to pass the costs projected for the isolation centres when there seems to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that is a pretty expansive list, and I heard support for vulnerable persons in there. I am confident that, if this money is removed in a supplementary today, the smart folks at Health and Social Services and the Department of Finance will find a way to spend it in one of those categories. In regard to the $8 million that is the GNWT contribution, is that required to receive the rest of the funding? Are we under any contribution agreements such that we had to put up that money? I note the Minister mentioned that, if we wanted to give money to municipalities, it was...

No. I am glad to hear that, Mr. Chair. Let's hope Finance can cut that cheque as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was looking for this money in Education, Culture and Employment, but I see some of it is here in Finance, the money to safely reopen NWT schools. I know some of this money came from the Government of Canada. I am very happy to see it. I know many of our school boards are struggling. They don't have the ability to run a deficit or to rack up debt such as we do, so their fiscals are much tighter. I guess my question is: after we approve this, when can we see that money actually get to the school boards, and is it being agreed upon how it will be distributed to the...