Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my understanding is that this $8.3 million is largely to stabilize and establish a better sort of baseline for what emergency shelters need to sustain their operations, and it's intended to be, you know, catchup for 2025-2026 and then put into the mains going forward. This description says, though, that it's also to establish a new homelessness division. How much out of this $8.3 million is just for the establishment of the new homelessness division, or was that done with, like, already existing internal resources? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I am going to go to the finance Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's just over $1 million that provides for compensation and benefits as well as the establishment of those positions. I mean, there's often associated startup costs for a new position but the remainder 7.2 -- just over $7.2 million is contributions to emergency shelters in Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik, and Fort Simpson. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so was there -- I mean, my understanding is that a lot of work around homelessness has already been underway but, you know, it's been spread across executive and Indigenous affairs or housing or different departments. Was there any decrease in positions or resources anywhere else to sort of make way or make room for this new homelessness division, or is it just adding on to what we've already had? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So up to this point, the homelessness and the homelessness strategy that was developed in the last government and moved into this government resided initially in EIA and was a combination of staff, but not necessarily creating staff that was singularly responsible. As it's transitioned and coming to a point where implementation is reaching, you know, further down the process of implementation and moved into housing, the establishment -- excuse me, the establishment of the homelessness division now is getting dedicated staff. So if I recall, there was one staff previously in Housing NWT now doing all of that implementation and coordination and bringing all of the pieces together that were previously spread across departments, and now this division will allow them to better oversee these increases in over $7 million of increases and to ensure that -- and, really, that there's a better coordination and implementation going forward. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
That's all for now. That information is helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Is there any other Members that have questions? Seeing none.
Go to the Department of Finance, directorate, not previously authorized, $8,318,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Department of Finance, total department not previously authorized, $8,318,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Please turn to page 7 for the Department of Health and Social Services.
Department of Health and Social Services, operations expenditures, administrative and support services, not previously authorized, $2,201,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Is there any questions? Seeing no further questions.
Department of Health and Social Services, administrative support services, not previously authorized, $2,201,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. The Department of Health and Social Services, operations expenditures, health and social services programs, not previously authorized, $10,692,000. Are there any questions?
I am going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in this section, there is $1.75 million to address increased costs for diagnostic laboratory services performed outside the territory. In the tabled main estimates for 2026-2027, we have a new 24/7 laboratory and diagnostic services unit being stood up. Is there contemplation that this sort of supplementary request will reduce or be eliminated by that new ask? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The increase in the 24/7 servicing improves services, improves the timeliness of service, and likely will, but I can't say that with certainty, only because one of the other cost drivers has been an increase in demand. So without knowing whether or not the testing volumes continues to outweigh perhaps with more availability of services, hard to say. And also inflationary pressure. So this is a service that when sent outside of the territory is driven by a contract. And if the contract costs change, then that also can increase the costs. So, yeah, again, hopefully yes, but, really, the 24/7 service is one that can -- you know, is likely to have a wider impact than just -- it wasn't being driven entirely or exclusively by a cost -- a reduction in other costs. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. There is another item under this activity where $348,000 is allotted to provide funding for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. And I am wondering if this cost overrun was due to the fact that some orders were invalid in transport and more had to be repurchased. I know that in the flu and COVID vaccine clinics, there was a sort of pause in being available -- the availability of the COVID vaccine last fall. And I am wondering if this is a shortfall addressing that particular issue. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, excellent question. That amount was not the cost driver on this particular request. I mean, that -- the amounts there -- I don't have that exact amount here, but that wasn't one that was of a sufficient nature to result in this request. This request is entirely because federal funding ended for COVID vaccines in 2024-2025 which meant that for the coming year for that -- for this 2025-2026 year, GNWT had to purchase their own vaccines. And so they went through the process of updating eligibility recommendations, running a diagnostic of what would be anticipated to be needed. Some -- again, there was some challenges with a portion of that, but overall the main purchase agreement was because the federal government has exited this space. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I can understand that answer, but I can only presume that the feds exiting the space, as the Minister just stated, would have been known in advance or was it, indeed, known in advance. It seems like something that you would hope you would know quite a ways in advance, but perhaps I am mistaken. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps the Minister can clarify.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it did meet the cutoff in terms of, you know, having it in main estimates, but it also -- if I am not -- if I understand correctly. Mr. Chair, I certainly will come back to the Members if there's an incorrect -- if this is not accurate. But the challenge here is knowing what the anticipated amount of doses would be to meet what the recommendations were. And in this case, that wasn't known with finality until later in the fiscal year. So it -- again, because there's a -- can be a change -- in this case there was a change in the eligibility recommendations and then coupled with determining whether -- knowing what that change was and then trying to extrapolate what the demand would be made it difficult to know for certain what the then purchase amount would need to be or -- that's right, or what the pricing would be at the end. So putting all those three things together resulted, then, in the final numbers not being available in time other than to come through by way of a supplementary appropriation. Thank you.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So was the GNWT's estimate of uptake of the vaccines lowballing, I guess, for lack of a better term? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, Mr. Chair, we don't -- we don't want to lowball. And if anything, Mr. Chair, I would note, and folks should be aware, that, you know, there's a disproportionate impact on Indigenous residents of -- well, Indigenous Canadians and therefore a significant impact on Northerners with 50 percent Indigenous population as they have statistically faced higher and more -- higher risk of more serious COVID impacts. And so in this case, the doses were ordered in such a manner as to meet the public health recommendations of who should be prioritized of receiving them. And in this case actually it was the chief public health officer expanded eligibility to include more high-risk populations, and that's what increased the forecast by over double in terms of what was determined to be required. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank You, Mr. Chair. Good to know, and nothing further.
Thank you. Is there any further questions? I will go to the Member from the Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just first following up quickly on -- my colleague asked some good questions about the 24/7 lab that is being proposed in this budget. And I am wondering -- so the last item on the list for $317,000 to provide funding for laboratory and diagnostic imaging for outpatient collections -- well, first I am wondering why this is coming to us in supps but also whether this is again something that might be mitigated by a 24/7 model at the Stanton lab. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, this was an occasion that will connect in to the proposed 24/7 lab staffing. This would bridge where things were at through to what is hoped to be the change that will take place as of April 1st if the main estimates are approved. It provided for early hiring of eight outpatient laboratory diagnostic imaging positions at Stanton. That addressed some of the immediate wait times and returned the same-day appointments back to the position -- or to the frequency with which they were previously, so -- and it is certainly expected that with a 24/7 staffing model that that will subsume this temporary measure. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, that's helpful to know.
I also wanted to ask about the funding for the in territory child and family supports program. That's $832,000. So why is this coming to us in supps, and what exactly is involved there? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this in territory child and family supports, this is an area that supports youth who are in need of supports through, for example the Tlicho Community Services Agency as well as Hay River Health and Social Services Agency, foster placements by both of those agencies, family support agreements, group homes across different regions and communities. As for why it comes in the form of a supp, Mr. Chair, there -- it is demand driven and so if there's a higher than anticipated need, then that -- then the budget amount that is allotted for the course of a fiscal year obviously doesn't cover it. And in some cases, the health and social services system don't necessarily know what the final numbers will be until they're later in the fiscal year. So I would also note one of the other things that has happened over the last few years, there have been increases in per diem rates in the last few years which is impacting the cost of foster placement care. As well, Mr. Chair, some changes in the types of supports that are being driven by changes to the Child and Family Services Act, and so as a result of all that, even with forced growth increases in the last couple of years, this -- the program saw, it was in a shortfall. Thank you.
Thank you. I will go back to the Members from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister referenced changes to the Child and Family Services Act. My understanding was that we are expecting to start reviewing changes to the Child and Family Services Act later this Assembly and that changes were not made in the last Assembly, so I am not sure what recent changes the Minister is speaking of. Can the Minister clarify? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, absolutely. So there was amendments back in 2016, but that then has resulted in, you know -- at least it's one of the reasons that's resulting in increased costs, which is to say that there are more children who are staying in their homes and then under voluntary support services agreements which do have costs associated as well as a last round of changes extended services for youth to the age of 23, which again increases the costs if there's a group or a cohort within that age bracket that are drawing on those services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I will go to the Member from Yellowknife North.
That's all my questions for now. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Are there any further questions from Members? Okay, seeing none. I am going to continue on seeing no further questions.
Department of Health and Social Services, health and social services programs, not previously authorized, $10,692,000. Does committee agree?
