Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking over at the Minister of ECE, if we could go to him, please.

Madam Chair, this $280,000 specifically is entirely GNWT funded. That certainly isn't to say that there is not funding that is already existing within the Health and Social Services system for mental health that is from the federal government. I don't know that I would have all of that here available in front of me, but I can certainly convey to the Minister of Health and Social Services that we might want a bit more information on that exact issue. Thank you, Madam Chair.

The opportunity for review and the opportunity for change certainly comes with risks. I can certainly say that it is my intention to look at that policy and move it forward to determine if a review is really in the best interests and achieves the goals that we have for it. Where I am going with that is that it's figuring out what we want to get out of the Affirmative Action Policy that we are not getting. What is it that we are not getting that we would like to see changed?

I suppose, in a sense, that would be a review, Mr. Speaker, but as far as that will look like, where it will go, and what...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. The first round of funding was really directed and really driven at the large airlines that provide scheduled passenger services. We were able to use some flexibility and to receive some flexibility so that we could direct it at airlines more across the Northwest Territories, more broadly than just one or two, which is certainly beneficial and there is a breakdown that was provided to five different airlines. Now, negotiations have continued with Transport Canada regularly. There have been regular communications between the Department of Finance and, I believe, the...

Thank you. Madam Chair, on the left, we have Terence Courtoreille here, who is director of Management Board Secretariat, and on the right, Jamie Koe, who is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance.

Madam Chair, I'm not sure if it's offered in all communities. Let me see if I can get a number that will perhaps break that down a little bit further as to what communities that is being offered in. Madam Chair, beginning in 2020-2021, there is support that is expected to be available in 15 communities. This is meant to provide the community training for five communities in the first two years and then to go from there, reducing over time. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is not new money at this point. This is money that's come in to date, and that has been provided, I believe, to the end of June. A mix of both planned and spent. I suppose it depends. If we're looking just at the first line item, the $23 million, that is a mix of on the planned and spent items coming in based on best estimates at this point of what's happening with COVID-19. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The $18 million certainly was for everything, for environmental planning, Indigenous engagements, and design. I wasn't sure exactly what the $1.9 there or $2 million specifically was for, but with that explanation, at least, thus far, I suspect we can get some further breakdown probably by tomorrow. Again, if it's the entire $18 million, that might take a bit more time, but just in terms of at least maybe project status, I gather, is probably what the Member is looking are for, and we can probably provide that.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. Just to give a bit of very brief context, it looks like we have a bit of extra time, 2018-2019 saw the establishment in the Tlicho and Deh Cho regions; 2019-2020 saw a rollout to the Sahtu and the Beaufort-Delta; and now, 2020-2021, we are expecting or assuming, if there is approval, rather, it would go to Yellowknife. As far as the Member is mentioning the concern that I acknowledge exists around security for staff who were already doing some of this work in some of the schools and some of the school districts, I can say that there is a priority right now within...

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is as a result of the fact that there's been an increased number of meetings that are being called with more frequency across the Northwest Territories. In order to support full participation by the Indigenous governments, this amount is being increased in order to provide the funding to the Indigenous governments to support their participation in those meetings, in that increased number and variety of meetings. Thank you, Madam Chair.