Wendy Bisaro

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I’ll repeat the question that I just asked the Minister. When was the last time that the daily subsidy for daycares and preschools was increased? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think the question was probably heard. I would have thought that the methods for the Liquor Commission and the GNWT in terms of accounting would be the same. Perhaps I could get an explanation as to why one of our, sort of, subsidiary organizations doesn’t use the same accounting methods that we do.

I hope the Minister was stating or suggesting that he did some consultation with daycares and with preschools in order to try to arrive at a reasonable figure. The fact that we have the lowest paid early childhood educator workers suggests to me that we have daycares and preschools that struggle to make ends meet.

So I’d like to ask the Minister, second of all, the Minister seemed to indicate, and I think he indicated in his statement that this grant or this subsidy, whatever you want to call it, has to go directly to the staff person. Does it go there and does it have to go there? Thank you.

Thanks to the deputy minister and, yes, I did remember. I just wanted to make sure that anybody who was looking at numbers would understand the rationale. I’m very glad to see that we have a more reasonable number, so to speak. Where has the extra $4 million gone? I’m presuming it went into general revenues, but could I get that clarified? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There’s a big emphasis on the need for economic development in our territory from this 17th Assembly government. I recognize the need for it, but our approach is somewhat flawed, especially around the issue of fracking.

This is a very controversial topic and a very confusing one. The average NWT resident hears either no info or too much info, and what they do hear is often contradictory. On the one hand, the message is fracking is all good, it’s safe, and we should allow the practice. On the other hand, the message is that it is a practice fraught with dangers and...

To the Minister, I just want it clarified. I think I understood what he said, but we had a very large increase four years ago which we have been gradually spreading out over the last four years, and in that time costs have increased and the Power Corp now faces another shortfall, so that is why we will be seeing another increase right away. Is that correct?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Two questions. The first one has to do with contributions to the Heritage Fund. I noted in the Minister’s opening remarks, he stated an increase of $7.4 million to the contribution to the NWT Heritage Fund and that the total will be $7.6 million. I didn’t quite understand where the extra $0.2 million comes in and how we went from what the increase of $7.4 million is. I don’t understand the numbers.

Mr. Chair, thanks to the Minister. I guess it kind of makes me want to ask the question then, of why did we bother having the Program Review Office to give us recommendations, but I say that with a bit of tongue in cheek. If the department gets these recommendations from the Program Review Office, how are they handled? How does the Minister ensure that other departments at least consider them? The goal here is to try and determine program effectiveness I read on page 150, which presumably should lead us to some efficiencies as well. If we have recommendations and they’re not binding, how do...

Yes, that’s right. Thank you for the reminder, Minister. I’m done.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to continue with Tabled Document 188-17(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2015-2016. We would like to continue and start with the Department of Finance and then Education, Culture and Employment, time permitting.