Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question is to the just over $1 million we spend on the Internal Audit Bureau, something that I think sounds great. Are any of the audits conducted by the Internal Audit Bureau public?

Thank you, Madam Chair. One of my issues in going through these main estimates is that there is essentially a lack of detail in all of them, and I don't want to ask the department and the Minister to break down every single item. One of the issues that I have found previously is that contract services can include everything from photocopiers to some payment of some consultant. Can I get a breakdown of what the $2,600,000 in Information Systems Shared Services contract services is?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to switch here to the Affirmative Action Policy. Does the department have any plans to update the Affirmative Action Policy?

Thank you, Madam Chair, and that's exactly the problem, is that we're essentially encouraging senior management to go and find cuts, and then pay themselves bonuses. Can you provide the total amount that we paid for in pay for performance bonuses?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I recognize, perhaps, that was in the summary part that we passed by, so I will just take it as a commitment from the Minister to provide a breakdown of the total cost we are paying to service our debt as projected in these main estimates. That's my only question, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that. I am also always confused about what I know and what is public and whatnot. I was simply looking for something public. My next question is: can I have some explanation of what a debenture is for the NWT Hydro Corporation, specifically what these debts are that have interest rates 6.42 percent, 9 percent, 10 percent? Can someone explain to me what that is and why would we ever be paying that amount of interest?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that the Minister acknowledges that there are problems with the building inspection. However, I think the argument that this would create further red tape, when there is simply no enforcement or inspection occurring, is not a valid argument, Mr. Speaker. It's a free-for-all right now, as soon as you leave Yellowknife, in regard to building standards. We have a number of codes and guidelines, some are enforceable, some are not, but at the end of the day, there is no one there to enforce this at a territorial level. Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe I asked this question before, and perhaps this is the page to get it. I have trouble reading these numbers and making any sense of them. Perhaps you or your deputy minster can just give me an estimate. We are borrowing essentially $1.2 billion here. I know it is over a number of projects. I know there is short term and long term. How much interest do we pay on borrowing $1.2 billion?

That is a great list of programs, and I'm happy we're going to meet that target regardless of whether we have a building standards act. I am very happy to see our GNWT best building practices followed. They are great practices. The reality on the ground is, if you are in a community, you can build whatever you want because no one comes and inspects it and no one enforces any of the building codes. Given this reality on the ground, is the Minister of Infrastructure willing to work with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and begin the work to develop a building standards act?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Looking at the 2019 Main Estimates, there was $65 million for the liquor and cannabis sales. I see that the actuals were $54 million in 2018-2019. Now we are estimating $54 million. Is that due to us simply selling less cannabis than we expected, or what is the cause for that?