Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Members of the accountability and oversight committee schedule the timing of the supplementary estimates reviews, and this one was scheduled for today. The PUB is already reviewing this. The $12 million was landed on, 12 over four as a number that was deemed reasonable to bring the costs down to a rate level that would, while still impactful, obviously would be one that could be managed. There was numerical consideration given to what those potential outcomes would be. You know, again, Mr. Chair, had I anticipated that that would be the questioning today or...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair -- and it is -- it's ratepayers. I often get it wrong, but -- so the ratepayers who often are the same taxpayers -- and I mentioned this yesterday in saying that you are taking tax dollars then essentially turning it back over so that people are keeping their costs lower.

The $12 million that we are proposing will be -- would go towards the cost of power. Now, the final amount that it's going to be depends upon what the public utilities board decides to do. They're the ones that actually set the rates, and the requirement for a GRA was issued somewhat earlier...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2024-2025; Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures) No. 2, 2024-2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chair, I just don't have that in front of me here. There are -- there was considerations that were put in to different options that could be put forward, you know, and certainly the range could be anything from a complete subsidy to no subsidy. Again, I didn't bring that level of detail. You happen to have the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation here, but even -- and so that's where I know there was some fairly detailed considerations done of what different numbers might do to impact different potential rate increases. I just don't have that math in front...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So in this supplementary appropriation is reflecting something that came out just at the end of last year in response to the GRA that we were required to file by the PUB where we've proposed to put in $48 million over four years, so $12 million for this year, and that's what this supp amount is.

In addition to that, Mr. Chair, we also provide the territorial power support program which subsidizes all of the communities that are thermal communities, so communities that are running on diesel generators, so throughout the Beaufort Delta communities, Mackenzie Delta...

Mr. Speaker, I'm not sure that I'm -- I'll wait a minute.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the proposed GRA would be for this fiscal year and so it would have to be -- it would have to be part of the assessment. It has to be part of the assessment, so -- yes, we can't sort of wait until they're done their review or wait until they issue their determination because their determination needs to take into account whether or not there's going to be a process. And the current year is also under consideration -- or the 2024-2025 year is under consideration so therefore it needs to be part of that year. That's why it's part of this final supp. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am very closely watching this, as is my colleague Minister Cleveland, and we'll be more than happy to provide notice to the MLA and will then also have it up on social media so the public knows when it's happening. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, monitoring and planning, really, for the monitoring began back, I would actually say last year. We obviously went through a difficult resupply last year and had to develop pretty good connections with the trucking community, with those on the other end on the receiving on the supply side. It went well. And starting this summer and through the fall, we rekindled those connections. So the monitoring is happening both by our staff as well as by making sure we have those contacts. We have extra folks on the entire stretch of winter road in order to make sure...

Mr. Speaker, I am delivering the second budget of the 20th Assembly at a time of significant economic and political uncertainty - not only in the Northwest Territories but across Canada and the world - made more perilous by the potential implementation of import tariffs by the United States. The Government of the Northwest Territories is a small player on this very large stage, but we can provide stability within the territory and must continue to maintain our readiness for whatever challenges and uncertainties may arise.

Events like these tariffs are why we introduced fiscal sustainability in...