Caroline Wawzonek

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Bill 4, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2020-2021, be read for the third time. I would request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We don't need to pilot anything, and we don't need to start having the conversations about the technologies. The conversations about the technology have started. TSC and Information and Shared Services are already working together. The Department of Finance is already engaging and supporting Northwestel and their efforts to ensure that we have adequate bandwidth. These things are happening, so they don't need to start, and they don't need to pilot.

What I am not going to do is stand here and direct departments, who each have their own operational needs and who all have an operational plan...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 19, second reading of bills.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That time is not now. That's a discussion that has been ongoing for some time. It has been a discussion that has been happening in some detail for some time, since January, really, but these plans are plans that have existed long before now. They are plans that were developed last year when we were facing the strike and owing from years before when they were dealing with H1N1. There are different gradients for each department. There are different needs for each department. We have to consider our health department and our essential services first, make sure that their...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 18, first reading of bills.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, Madam Chair. It's under contributions, Madam Chair, and yes, I can confirm that it is included here in this appropriation.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have that particular item broken down, but if I am not mistaken, that is a grant or contribution, and therefore, it would have been funded as 100 percent. If I am in error, Madam Chair, I will get back to the committee immediately. Sorry, Madam Chair. That is in the grants and contributions. Yes, sorry, it is here. Thank you.

Yes, the small communities and the needs of small communities have been at the heart and at the center of a lot of the considerations that have gone into the planning that is under way. I know that there are going to be some differences. Hesitancy now isn't the lack of a plan. Hesitancy is that I want to ensure that I am speaking with the most current information on behalf of all the departments.

Obviously, the House is aware that, right now, our Premier is actually on a phone call with the Prime Minister and other first Ministers. It would be helpful, I think, to know what has been discussed...

It's difficult to make commitments on the part of money that is coming from a different government, but I can say that my understanding at this point is that the full panoply of options coming out of the federal government will come in different avenues. There are likely to be some direct supports to our health sector, and then, also, other supports that are going to go through the business sector. To the extent that they come through the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Government of the Northwest Territories is going to ensure that we are acting promptly and swiftly to make sure...