Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't have the main estimates in front of me right now. And in general, we don't speak to them before they get tabled here in the House. Members do have an opportunity to review the main estimates in advance. And so I think I'll have to defer that question too when we're up in front of the committee at the very least, if not back before the House, on the mains. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have some notes from NTPC owing to a different hat, but I don't have the full capital plan in front of me. I can assure Members, but also the public, that -- so the GNWT, for example, has a 20-year needs plan. NTPC also has a capital plan, and items like the surge tank were on the capital plan. So in terms of knowing the different needs, I think there's a fairly well-known set of needs. Bluefish and Snare, for example, also have breakdowns in the longer term plan about the need to replace those very aging pieces of infrastructure as well and to bring them back and to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the amount available to ECC in terms of wildfire suppression has grown in its base budget. So the base budget in the main -- which is what's in the main estimates that we see in the winter session, from 2022-2023 was $18.7 million; 2023-2024 almost $21 million; and 2024-2025, $24.3 million. Then on top of which we have the supplementary appropriations in each of those years. But my point simply being that there have been adjustments over the years as well as some support that's come in through Enercan over that period of time. But at the end of the day, the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, at the end of the day, Madam Chair, fundamentally the supplementary appropriation is being used to maintain -- or to reduce and to preserve the cost of power for the ratepayers or the residents. I certainly can get a more specific breakdown on the costs of diesel. I don't know if I have it in front of me, but let me see if perhaps the deputy minister has it or perhaps our secretary to the financial management board. Thank you Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2, be read for the second time. The bill includes comprehensive amendments to update the legislative framework for the operation of the public service of the Government of the Northwest Territories. The proposed amendments clarify roles and responsibilities under the act, reflect modern public sector practices and aim to improve the act's clarity and readability. The bill also includes provisions to formalize in legislation the process for safe disclosure of wrongdoing...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't know if there's any constraints on putting it out publicly, although that certainly would be my inclination subject to something in there that I'm not aware of and at the very least could certainly share it with MLAs under confidentiality and at least could get it moving there initially.

Madam Chair, I am conscious of time, but I have a couple minutes left. I will just note that there's also work happening in terms of NTPC's longer term capital plan for Jackfish and Snare which not dissimilar to the Taltson system, which was built in the '60s and '70s, these two...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So right now, Mr. Speaker, if there are more placements or a need for greater salary dollars beyond the capacity of the funding, those funds do come from internal resources to individual departments so sometimes that can be if there's an unfunded position that they can use that money towards, or if there's some other program where funding hasn't fully been utilized they can use that towards this program. Obviously, we had a finite amount of resources in the GNWT and at this time this is not one where I am anticipating anything further going into the budget for this...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I do see the hydrology reports that come through as well to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. And, you know, whether or not I can say at this point in the year whether or not next year would be similar or better or otherwise, it is too early for me to say, and I certainly wouldn't want to be the person that comes to that conclusion, Madam Chair. I can say that we do have a resiliency study that is expected later this fall. It's a resiliency study on the Snare system because it is the Snare and the Bluefish system that experience low water levels...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the subscriptions to this program has grown over the years. In 2023-2024, we had six secondments. In 2024-2025, we had eight. In 2025-2026, we had seven. And again, it's well received. This program has actually been through a review, positive feedback all around from the participants. And as such, the program will be continuing with some adjustments to make it even more accessible for Indigenous governments across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

No, Madam Chair.