Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, not as an expressed committee per se.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's a fairly big question; I'll try to be mindful of time.

With respect to infrastructure investment and funding, Mr. Chair, there are funds that CRTC does either administer or have some ability to influence. So, for instance, universal broadband fund in the last government was one which helped support the extension of the fibre into Whati. Another example, Mr. Chair, is current discussions around whether or not redundancy opportunities would be able to be funded from some of these sources. To date, they haven't been, but certainly for the North where we lack a lot of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that actually hits on what really is the biggest barrier right now in terms of being able to move this forward and with some timelines. Data is a challenge in this space.

I can say, Mr. Speaker, that there is support now flowing to non-government partners with respect to having a client management software system. So it's an actual system that can be used to better track and understand the challenge that is faced and how it's moving forward. So, again, there is significant work happening in this space, and it's collaborative work that's happening in this...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it actually might be interesting to look back on what the actuals in this area have been over a longer period of time. So the last couple of years, in particular, have been difficult for the mineral resource industry and things have been coming in low, but the value of $6.1 million here is one that, again, do we want to look at this $3 million? You know, we can certainly -- can certainly take it back. But, again, I'd want to look back at a longer stretch of time to have a better sense of just how much variability there is between the actuals and mains, and then...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll start with the deputy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 20: Supplementary Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 2, 2024-2025, be read for the second time.

This bill makes the supplementary appropriations for operations expenditures and borrowing authorization for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2024-2025-fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the fund is actually -- this is a good time to ask that question, Mr. Chair. The act does require a review by the Assembly every ten years, and this Assembly happens to be the 10-year review period, so this is exactly the work that needs to be undertaken. I believe committee is actually responsible for the review, so happy to be part of that. I know that -- I gather that process is clearly underway, and I'm looking forward to seeing what may come of it, and certainly, that's -- the point is if there needs to be changes, there'll be changes. Thank you.

to the deputy minister, please.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the House that the honourable Member from Hay River North, the Premier, will be absent from the House for the remainder of this week to attend to the Council of Federation in Washington, DC. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, so no, we're not overstating the budget to make it all look better. It doesn't have that kind of effect on it, Mr. Chair. And perhaps given that this is getting into the process of how it is actually budgeted, I might start with the deputy minister but we might turn to director of shared corporate services too. Thank you.