Caroline Wawzonek

This is a onetime thing, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, this is not an increase to the borrowing limit. I'm happy to clarify that. So the borrowing limit that's imposed by the federal government is separate and apart, and I certainly do not have the authority to increase that, which is imposed by the federal government. And within our fiscal responsibility policy, we created our own internal limit to give ourselves room that if we come up upon our own internally imposed limit, which is the cushion below the federal limit, that would then trigger within our own processes a requirement to consider what we would then do lest we in fact...

I do, Madam Chair. Thank you. Madam Chair, this is an unusual supplementary estimates request following a very unusual, and I hope unique, summer for the Northwest Territories.

Low water levels have made the annual barging resupply much more costly. Low water levels have also meant that we've been burning more diesel to provide electricity throughout the Northwest Territories, which is much more costly to the GNWT. And, meanwhile, early in the season, flooding also required emergency response.

Madam Chair, these emergency costs alone would not have required this supplementary request or...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, Madam Chair, I know that the Members did receive the preliminary business case back in May of 2022. So I realize that that is a number. I don't know if that's a good enough number. But if the MLA wants to look back at his materials, he'd certainly find a number in there, add a little inflation, and maybe he'll vote for the capital budget. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm obviously in support of the capital estimates for 20242025. I am. I'd like to give you some details as to why and to the process by which we've arrived here today. These estimates, Madam Chair, propose a total investment, as you know, of more than $361 million for infrastructure in the Northwest Territories and to continue the work that's already being completed on a number of key infrastructure projects across the territory. This includes some large-scale infrastructure needs like the replacement of the Frank Channel bridge, the extension of the Inuvik...

Oh, Mr. Speaker, I can't I can't tell you what I think. Or what I think the next Minister can do.

Mr. Speaker, there's been a fulsome review that was conducted. I would commend people to if they are interested in this area, to look at what we heard the What We Heard report, to look at the recommendations therein. It is the recommendations that are saying to bring in an Indigenous employment policy that would really refocus on an area that we know that the Department of Finance would like to see improvements, that we know it's an area that the public service remains underrepresented. And it...

No, it will certainly not be lost, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is very committed to this work. And as I said, this is really the work that's gone on is part of what has already been going on and what's already in place under the Indigenous recruitment and retention framework, the Human Resources Strategic Plan, the Diversity and Inclusion Framework. So while this policy is certainly connected to those things and that work is ongoing, as such it is connected. And the work is ongoing, and it will certainly not be lost. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, when we started the 19th Legislative Assembly, Members put forward, as one of its priorities, ensuring that government procurement maximizes benefits for Northwest Territories' residents and businesses. We knew that procurement policies had not been meaningfully updated for several years, and we wanted to make sure we were getting as much value out of every dollar as we could.

In January 2021, I appointed an independent advisory panel to engage with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, elected leaders, the business community, stakeholders and residents, on...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 84, An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Also happy to clarify that, Madam Chair. I do think these are all questions that folks may have generally in the public. So the main estimates every year has included upon it is a page that has all of the borrowing and every year, including when we do the next main estimates process or when the next Assembly does the main estimates process, that page will have on it a new borrowing plan. That borrowing plan would take into account our cash balances for the in terms of shortterm borrowing, it would take into account the cash balances that we're at once we know what...