Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's a couple different types of funding that we see here frequently, one of which is the subsidies that we provide through territorial power support programs and also direct subsidies on the water events, for example, to keep affordability where it is. But the other type of investment, Mr. Speaker, is in the infrastructure component and in this case, Mr. Speaker, we have systems that were built in the '60s and '70s that have not been brought up to speed that we're now having to catch up on and in the meantime we do wind up with isolated grids here in the north, an...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That's correct. So that actually -- and I'm glad the Member mentioned it because there are -- it is worth noting the $3.533 million here do relate to this year's wildfire season. They are the portion of wildfire response that arrives when there's an emergency evacuation which would fall under the responsibility of MACA's emergency response team rather than the wildfire response. And so correct, that to get a full projection or a full picture of the costs for the wildfire, for any given wildfire season involved, both for the base budget for both ECE -- or for MACA as...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, firstly, just -- I mean, just briefly, there is not a let it burn policy at all. But as to the sort of nuance of the specifics of fire management or forest fire management, that certainly is well beyond my capacity in the supps to speak to. I certainly do want to, you know, listen carefully when the Minister from ECC speaks and they, you know, already do action quite a number of fires but there's quite a number that they do monitor. And that -- because they simply are trying to manage both proper forest management as well as ensuring that they're putting...

Thank you, Madam Chair. And, Madam Chair, first, just one small piece of good news. It's not fully -- the $2.479 million is offset. There are some revenues that we are anticipating coming back in, so of $1.276 million, so it's not -- it's only partially -- there is still a deficit. Now, that said, the bigger question and the longer term question is to get out of a situation where we are having to continue this. I will note, Madam Chair, that a big part of that is ensuring that we are getting CFIA certified. That would allow direct marketing and direct then sales of the product that we have in...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So this particular line item in the mains for 2025-2026 was just over $20.9 million. But, in fact, actuals are coming in at $41,929. And so some of the items that we are seeing that are contributing to that, sort of highlights if you will, aircraft in particular. Aircraft is $10.5 million and likely a little bit more, $3 million -- there's some projected costs at this point in time. So because of the timing of the year, there's still some costs that are coming in from the tail end of the season. But expecting this one to hit $13.5 million. And associated fuel for the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. A portion of this funding does support the budget that's under the extended health benefits, but exactly the impacts of that I would have to come back to the Member on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't have the main estimates in front of me right now. And in general, we don't speak to them before they get tabled here in the House. Members do have an opportunity to review the main estimates in advance. And so I think I'll have to defer that question too when we're up in front of the committee at the very least, if not back before the House, on the mains. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have some notes from NTPC owing to a different hat, but I don't have the full capital plan in front of me. I can assure Members, but also the public, that -- so the GNWT, for example, has a 20-year needs plan. NTPC also has a capital plan, and items like the surge tank were on the capital plan. So in terms of knowing the different needs, I think there's a fairly well-known set of needs. Bluefish and Snare, for example, also have breakdowns in the longer term plan about the need to replace those very aging pieces of infrastructure as well and to bring them back and to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the amount available to ECC in terms of wildfire suppression has grown in its base budget. So the base budget in the main -- which is what's in the main estimates that we see in the winter session, from 2022-2023 was $18.7 million; 2023-2024 almost $21 million; and 2024-2025, $24.3 million. Then on top of which we have the supplementary appropriations in each of those years. But my point simply being that there have been adjustments over the years as well as some support that's come in through Enercan over that period of time. But at the end of the day, the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, at the end of the day, Madam Chair, fundamentally the supplementary appropriation is being used to maintain -- or to reduce and to preserve the cost of power for the ratepayers or the residents. I certainly can get a more specific breakdown on the costs of diesel. I don't know if I have it in front of me, but let me see if perhaps the deputy minister has it or perhaps our secretary to the financial management board. Thank you Madam Chair.