Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What a historic day yesterday. Devolution has arrived after a long and a hard-fought battle. That we’ve reached this point is wonderful. I am in full support of devolution and very happy. It’s not something I thought I would see during my tenure here at the Legislative Assembly. I offer congratulations to the Premier, the Aboriginal governments and all the hardworking GNWT negotiations staff, past and present, who brought us to this point.

Today I’d like to follow up on an exchange that I had last week during budget deliberations with the Premier, and recent comments by...

Thanks to the Minister. It’s good to hear that we’re making a base adjustment. I’m just wondering, when we give approval for appropriation of funds, basically after the fact the way we are doing here from what it sounds like, is there a financial impact on us? Are we spending this money and getting reimbursed at a later date? Are we paying interest costs or whatever? Basically, is it costing us money to be out this $4.7 million? Thank you.

That pretty much answers my questions. I’m done. Thank you.

Thanks for the information from the Minister. We’re almost at $19 million in the hole, so to speak. I appreciate that we have unforeseen costs periodically, but I would have thought with a reserve of $10 million and we’re now $19 million in the hole, that means we overshot our budget by $29 million. Are there specific large items that we can reference that caused us to be so much in the hole or is this an accumulation of a number of smaller things that have added up to this deficit of $19 million?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a general question with regard to all of these expenditures. These were unforeseen in this budget year, that’s why they’re here. So to the Minister, I understand that we have a contingency fund or we have a reserve for both infrastructure and for operations budgets. So a couple of questions. What is our reserve for the 2012-13 budget year for operations and how do all the items in this particular supplementary appropriation affect our reserve fund? Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Aumond, for the explanation. That’s all, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I have specific concerns about the only one project on this page, and that’s the Tuk-Inuvik highway. I think certainly Members and the Regular Members, through our discussions, know that I have a lot of concerns with this project. But I’ll ask a couple of questions here and perhaps give my editorial later on.

I heard the Minister say a little bit earlier in response to another Member that, I think the question was, when is enough enough? The Minister said enough is enough when we’re opening the road. I thought to myself, that’s all well and good, but at what price? Where is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 49-17(4), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2012-2013; and Tabled Document 50-17(4), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2013-2014, and would like to report progress with two motions being adopted, and that consideration of Tabled Document 49-17(4) and Tabled Document 50-17(4) is concluded, and that the House concur in those estimates and that appropriation bills to be based thereon be introduced without delay. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of...

Thank you, committee. Mr. Menicoche.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Committee, we’re on page 5 of the tabled document, 2013-14, Supplementary Appropriation No. 1, (Infrastructure Expenditures), Transportation, capital investment expenditures, highways, not previously authorized, $60 million, total department not previously authorized, $60 million.