Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Part of the projects -- and, again, there are -- there's a couple of aspects to the work that's happening with respect to the 9-1-1 system and certainly one component of the second project really is to try to increase the integration with third party software as well as to integrate more with, you know, ensuring that -- yeah, that the systems do speak better to each other and can rely on GIS. At some point -- I'm hesitating only in that at some point does need to be work done with the NorthwesTel, or whoever the telecom provider or say cell phone company might be, and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left, Bill MacKay, deputy minister of finance. On my right, Dave Heffernan, the assistant deputy minister and government chief information officer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can certainly say that the power corporation already does keep in touch with both the GNWT's energy staff, who are also involved in this issue, and together they then in turn keep in touch with those at the IRC or IDC advancing the Inuvialuit energy supply project. And certainly happy to say that I'll re-enforce to them that we want to be working together to have domestic energy supply as much as we can, increases resiliency, is certainly lower carbon than the current diesel that is often used in those communities, and we want to make sure that we're...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the chance to speak to this again. There was an announcement that went out not too long ago. We have transitioned now from what was before a board that was made up entirely of senior officials from the government who were doing this in addition to all the other work they had to do. We've transitioned now to having seven public members, two GNWT senior deputies still involved. We are, of course, still the sole shareholders of the corporation. But those seven members were chosen based on a matrix where there's a skill set that we want to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It does -- it is something that gets replaced every five years. That is its expected service life. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So certainly scientific study is going to be a significant component of the planning work that goes into Taltson expansion as well as the planning work that's going to have to go into the integrated systems planning more broadly. It is really -- the lack of an integrated systems plan for the Northwest Territories is something that holds back better long-term planning, and it's something that I'm very much looking forward to receive back from the Public Utilities Board. I understand that process has begun, engagement has begun, work with the utilities has begun. And it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there is work happening, particularly in Alberta, and I will say that there's motivation to looking to Alberta as certainly that our medical record systems and their medical record systems often have to interact when hundreds of Northwest Territories residents are going there every day for medical services. So they -- you know, they have -- there's a couple of different things happening with respect to both the online systems that they have, the digital health care card they have, the electronic medical records they have. So it's not just one thing that would need to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, obviously -- or I shouldn't say obviously. But just to be clear, there's nothing in these capital plans that speaks directly to incorporating AI in any of these proposed additions or systems, I mean, although not to take away from the fact that they are certainly bringing up and enhancing the technology. A lot of the focus of the capital investments for finance is really to be enhancing our technology capacity and the infrastructure that is technology and computer systems. But that said, Mr. Chair, I do want to note this is certainly -- it is, as the Member notes...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, Mr. Chair, just to clarify the first item, technology isn't necessarily bespoke to us when we take something on. So in this instance we, back in 2019, adopted the technology, but it wasn't brand new technology at the time. That, you know, limits the amount of capital outlay that you might have if you are not taking the newest and best but then it does result in a situation where six years on, we are looking to replace it. But, you know, six years is six years, and we've certainly learnt something from it, including the next series of questions, which is how to better...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there is actually quite a lot going on in both of these, so I'm happy to provide some further information, and either whether it's myself appropriately through the information side or whether it's through minister McKay's side, we could certainly provide something that can be made available and perhaps a tabled letter so that the public knows what's coming as well. I agree with the Member's point here. There's a lot of information in front of me about what these systems have, and I would agree that it's important to put that to the public. So rather than trying...