Caroline Wawzonek
Deputy Premier
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry, Madam Chair, I was looking for something different there. Because this so the money that's showing up here in under the management board secretariat is the is related to the service payments that we have to maintain the line or for over the cost of having built the line but not necessarily connected to what is happening in terms of connecting communities.
So the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line does create the point of presence of the fibre in the communities and we do pay for that and receive revenues for its use. But there is, meanwhile, work happening, led by...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, certainly I would note for at this moment, there is a junior officer, I think a human resources officer and an assistant in the Tlicho based in the Tlicho region. I certainly can appreciate, you know, feedback from the Member. It is difficult to necessarily draw a conclusion about the state of hiring or vacancy rates in a context right now given the labour market shortages across sectors and across Canada and whether or not that is related to a shift in how human resources was structured many years ago as compared to the circumstances we're facing today...
Thank you, Madam Chair. That was the last round of funding received from the federal government under this initiative. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, so there is a joint initiative between the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Finance. And I will speak specifically to the health area though, really, Madam Chair, at this point the department of health mirrors more closely what happens in other departments in that there are still management roles for the department's staff that then work with a human resources officer or client services officer who can support the work that goes on to hire someone into an individual department or division.
The health recruitment unit, though, is...
Thank you, Madam Chair. That I guess I set myself up for that one. Madam Chair, so, I mean, we have the liquor and cannabis commission, which is the entity responsible for actually doing the sales of the liquor and now cannabis. So the revolving fund really does fund those operations and as soon as they have an excess, they don't make a profit; that money goes back to the consolidated revenue of the Government of the Northwest Territories. But by keeping it separate, they do they can run their own operation, and yes, separate unto themselves which I would say is not necessarily an area that...
Thank you, Madam Chair. The contributions or payments are made over the summer months, so either between July to before the end of August.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I certainly can sorry, yes, so that's the difference there. That, Madam Chair, was positionally well, a couple of things, Madam Chair. There were some changes in terms of compensation and benefits back at the time. There was unfunded positions and underfunded positions that have been that have adjusted over time. And then also, Madam Chair, there was an unfunded donation this is where there's a donation that was made, $150,000 to United Way, to deal or to support flood relief came out of there as well. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So there is of course, there has been a review of the Liquor Act in the length of this Assembly, and I would say credit to the standing committee for encouraging that to move forward. There and that would be one of the items that can be considered through that process, and it's obviously then a process that includes public consultation. I think the Member sort of stated it much the way I've been receiving information, which is that there's what might be workable and appropriate for a large centre such as Yellowknife may not necessarily be reflective of what's wanted...
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, that is it's the number that's put in here is based on historical averages and so that's why you see $7.6 million there, and it does obviously vary year by year. But based on historical averages, that's the number that is used. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, essentially the main estimates that would have been seen by the House earlier in the Committee of the Whole process is what comes through financial management board and gets approval. So it's a similar process, although because the corporation not housing another department, that's why it the money shows up here going through the Department of Finance. Thank you.