Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, the fish plant is now fully operational and they are continuing to see increases in catch and increases in the number of fishers. That is the good news; however, finding someone or some entity that has the capacity and skills to fully operate the plant did prove a little more challenging than what was perhaps anticipated in the Great Slave Lake fish revitalization strategy back in 2017, thereabouts, when this plant was first being conceived. So with that, what they have done as a department, as government, is entered into an agreement with the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I certainly take the point. I mean, so as much as I'm saying that the wildfires are a good example for what is an appropriate supplementary appropriation, there is also -- I don't disagree that having an accurate budget when we can see a trend is certainly a responsibility that we do want to take seriously. For instance, if there are items that have a commitment by ECC, so for example if there are contracts they've entered into with their airline suppliers and tankers or -- you know, then that would be an item that would be potentially appropriate for a...

Madam Chair, I actually think I might be back in front of committee tomorrow wearing my other hat with power corporation but also with power corporation officials with me. So if I might suggest -- I'd prefer to defer that question and then what I could do, Madam Chair, knowing that this is a public opportunity -- I do think it's very important the public know the circumstances we're in -- I can perhaps table a letter to follow up from -- as a further detail of some of this information just to -- it'll be more fulsome it comes through that discussion tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, I mean, this is a very large question. I'm probably beyond the scope of what I can really get into here and one that should probably go as well to both ECC as well as MACA directly in terms of their operations. But just briefly, Madam Chair, and from the perspective of the Department of Finance, we are responsible for territorial formula financing. That is -- a review is getting underway now in advance of 2029 being the next time that it comes up for renewal. The challenge that we will have is that it doesn't take much in terms of headlines in the news throughout...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So, Madam Chair, this really does relate, I believe, and I certainly would correct myself immediately if I'm -- if there's anything wrong, but it's with respect to the low water events that impact on the Snare system still. So that was a couple of years where there was increase in diesel being burned, and I'm fairly certain that I have seen a chart showing a return to the usage of hydropower in the North Slave, so I'll see if I can locate that and can provide that to Members as well.

But with respect to what's happening in the Taltson, particularly right now, Madam Chair...

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Absolutely, Madam Chair. The answer is yes. And I will be frank in saying I think that the energy costs and lack of resiliency in our system is probably one of the strongest long-term challenges that I certainly worry about. It is a huge cost driver for the GNWT and a huge cost driver for residents and businesses, and the cost of fixing it are huge and generally, because of the way public utilities work, would go directly back to the ratepayers, which is untenable given the costs that we pay. And there we sit in this very challenging situation. So I appreciate the call for some creativity. I...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2; Statement of Consistency for Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2; 2024-2025 Northwest Territories Carbon Tax Report; and, the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Annual Report 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So on the study itself, Madam Chair, it does include looking at alternatives, including hydro storage, whether or not additional hydro generation is necessary, as well as the role of renewables in the region. Madam Chair, it's certainly not -- I don't want to leave the impression that it's the only work that is happening in general on resiliency. There is, I think, a fairly strong awareness within the Northwest Territories Power Corporation that this is an area that continues to be a problem repeatedly. It's not a problem in the South Slave where we have too much power...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the top-up funding that is available, we right now provide $40,000 in funding for each potential placement. This recognizes that there may be some gap between the salaries that apply to a GNWT public servant and wanting to ensure that folks are able to take on these secondments and not facing a gap to their employment level but also not burdening unnecessarily another government or Indigenous government. And so the gap is just to make sure that we're putting that money towards salaries and that in that sense would, again, make it easier to apply for any...