Final budget for 19th Legislative Assembly Passes

by ahnationtalk on March 30, 2023118 Views

March 30, 2023

Today Budget 2023-24, which continues to build on the 19th Legislative Assembly’s mandate commitments, was passed. The prioritization of initiatives that have already been set in motion in the life of this government will ensure their sustainability and successful transition into the next Assembly.

Over the past several weeks, Ministers and senior officials appeared before Standing Committees and in the Committee of the Whole within the Legislative Assembly to review individual department budgets. Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek engaged in discussions on several areas where additional resources would further benefit the residents of the Northwest Territories.

The result of this collaboration is a budget that will provide returns that benefit residents, businesses and communities with a focus on addressing homelessness, mental health, sustainable living, emergency services, economic development, youth sports and recreation and rising inflation.

Budget 2023-24 projects a $178 million operating surplus after adjustments with revenue of $2.5 billion and expenditures of $2.2 billion. Combined with improvements to the capital budgeting process and strengthened debt management policies, Budget 2023-24 will leave the 19th Legislative Assembly in better financial shape than it started.

Quotes

“In the true spirit of consensus government, the Executive Council and Regular MLAs have worked together to develop a plan for Budget 2023-24 that will leave the next Assembly with a fiscally sustainable foundation on which to build while showing responsiveness to the emerging or enhanced areas of need. The work we’ve done over the past several weeks demonstrates our shared commitment as elected representatives to working together for the benefit of all NWT residents.”

– Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance

Quick facts

Minister Wawzonek has committed to additional spending for 2023-2024 that will be included in the budget via supplementary appropriation during the May/June sitting of the Legislative Assembly. This includes:
$2 million to support implementation of the Homeless Strategy in 2023-2024
$500,000 of additional ongoing funding for a suicide prevention fund for all Indigenous Governments
$1 million in ongoing funding to support sustainable living programs including:
Community Harvester Assistance Program;
Local Wildlife Committees;
Take a Kid Trapping;
Country Foods;
Hunter Education;
Trapper Mentorship;
Take a Family on the Land;
Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program
Harvesters Disaster Assistance Program
On the Land Collaborative; and
Sustainable Livelihoods
$375,000 in one-time funding for the Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (SEED) program, specifically earmarked for Arts
$400,000 one-time funding for training and/or purchase of equipment for municipalities to improve capacity in support emergency response services in the NWT
$500,000 in ongoing funding to support youth sport and recreation in communities
As part of Budget 2023-24 the GNWT commits to sharing an option paper on NTPC Board composition with Standing Committee by May/June 2023 Session.
To address non-government organization’s (NGO) inflationary increases, Budget 2023-24 commits the GNWT to allow departments to seek funding related to inflationary increases for NGOs via the annual forced growth process. GNWT also commits to ensuring that multi-year funding arrangements are available to recipients to enhance organizational stability and longer-term planning.

Final budget for 19th Legislative Assembly Passes

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