Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there is, indeed, some amount here for other recruitment and retention strategies. And that was, if you will recall, earlier before the labour impact supplement came out, a variety of strategies put forward by the Department of Health and Social Services and working with Department of Finance and human resources specialists about other options. So, for instance and I think this is what the question is. There's four employee onboarding specialists positions. That is really meant to be an opportunity to help new staff who come in understand relocation...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, at this point, as Members may be aware, there is a process underway right now for a regional strategic environmental assessment. I think I hope I haven't misstated the proper title for it, but it's a process that goes through the board. So there is a delay but for that process in order for that other process to take place. There's certainly, I think, some hope that as that process is underway that it will actually may ultimately actually benefit that overall region and whatever the future project might look like. So while the specific money that is here...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would be very happy if the Member would like to go winter camping. I'm not a barrier to him going winter camping. What I can't do is necessarily open up a park, bring in park staff, bring in cleaning staff, bring in the enforcement and monitoring officers to make sure that parks don't get wrecked, although I'm sure the Member wouldn't do that. I can't commit to doing all of that and to expending those resources on his behalf. But I'd be very happy to hear if he goes out into the wilderness, onto the land, and takes pictures to promote tourism in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm just trying to confirm with the deputy exactly what day the first payment will be made. I believe it is this month. I just don't know exactly on what day. The deputy minister might know.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, at this point it's still in compliance, Mr. Chair. I mean, again, it's the actuals that we see the actuals that we'd be getting numbers on in the fall is by the way in which you would measure whether or not you're in compliance with fiscal responsibility policy. But at this point, Mr. Chair, these changes are. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm not good to providing a prediction here today. I certainly can say the Department of Finance is monitoring this. I know the Bank of Canada just put out their most recent monetary policy. And certainly I know I'm reading those documents, and our department's staff and fiscal policy are also reading those materials and keeping an eye on what is happening. But I think really where I want to go, Madam Speaker, in responding is to reassure that in that monitoring that we are doing so not just as an academic exercise. We're doing that so that we would be...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there is within the fiscal responsibility policy, a two year period so it's not necessary it doesn't line up there is kind of a grace period where if there is an event such as, you know, what we all hope to be a once in a lifetime flood that in those circumstances, we would see that you do get a bit of room. We get these two years where the deficit that we're running now we can catch up on. And so with that also said, the operating deficits, the surpluses aren't necessarily we need to actually see where the actuals land to see just what level of compliance we have...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think I'm going to start I want to say I'll start at the back end of the questions first. With respect to any greenhouse gas reductions that are perhaps, you know, our hope to flow from projects, obviously it is, you know, an unknown at this point what would necessarily be the actual final changes to greenhouse gas emissions and there could be other factors at play in that regard such as, you know, weather or other reductions that might be taking place for other reasons associated. Now that said, as to the timing, it's just to be to be certain, these projects where...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there's not a formal plan or policy or strategy around responding to insurance costs. Insurance costs are something that arises as a result of private market factors. And unfortunately, the Northwest Territories does face higher premiums generally. We have a smaller population over which the industry can spread its risk out. There's, you know, obviously remote location. There is the factor of the types of building materials that are used when we're dealing with capital insurance or capital products and assets, houses. And the fact is there's often...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So there will be well, depending on what the surplus our operating surplus position is, we were, you may recall, forecasting at one point a fairly significant operating surplus. So that is the first piece that it gets taken from, is what would have been an operating surplus will now likely not be and anything beyond that would increase our debt. We'd be taking on debt in order to ensure that we can meet those cash obligations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.