YELLOWKNIFE (February 8, 2018) – Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod released the Government of the Northwest Territories’ (GNWT) 2018-19 Budget today, highlighting a $1.713 billion budget for departmental spending that addresses the priorities of the 18^th Legislative Assembly and strengthens delivery of existing programs.

The 2018-2019 Budget is funded through $1.749 billion in revenues, which will provide a $23 million operating surplus – the eighth consecutive operating surplus. After accounting for the capital investment, the overall cash surplus for 2018-19 is expected to be $2 million.

Highlights in support of the 18^th Legislative Assembly’s priorities include:

• Economy, Environment and Climate Change
  • $2.2 million for Skills 4 Success implementation, a new program to increase training positions available within the GNWT, and to enhancements to the Student Financial Assistance program.
  • $1.3 million to implement the new Agriculture Strategy, The Business of Food: A Food Production Plan
  • $1.2 million for activities in support of climate change resilience and adaptation capacity, to advance candidate protected areas and for caribou management
  • $1.7 million for the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway to ensure the continued success of this transportation corridor
  • $1.1 million to further work under the Mineral Development Strategy, complete the review of the Mineral Resources Act, and continue the Mining Incentive Program.
• Education, Training and Youth Development
  • $2.1 million to realize the promise to have Junior Kindergarten in all 33 Northwest Territories communities
  • $1.6 million to expand the Northern Distance Learning to all 20 small schools in the Northwest Territories
  • $1.5 million to put more Child and Youth Mental Health Counsellors in schools
• Community Wellness
  • $20.7 million to strengthen health and social services through adjustments to funding for out-of-territory hospital and physician services, residential southern placements, extended health benefits, and Métis health benefits.
  • $6.8 million in on-going operations support for long-term care facilities and home care, community care, and mental health and addictions services across the territory
  • $1.5 million to improve services for children with development delays and to to enhance services to address the differing needs of children and adults with complex disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • $500,000 for on-going funding for the youth-in-crisis mental health program
  • $762,000 for the Yellowknife Sobering Centre to help ensure that there is a safe shelter and safe transportation to that shelter, for intoxicated and homeless people at all hours of the day
• Cost of Living
  • $412,000 to improve food security by developing a Country Food Strategy to guide the development of country food programming and to support the long-term sustainability of country food systems
  • $3.3 million in additional resources to further support income assistance, funding for anti-poverty initiatives, and to address pressures in the Senior Citizen and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief Program and the Territorial Power Subsidy Program
  • $3.8 million to provide incentives for homeowners to replace fuel tanks and to provide funding to cover additional costs for water and sanitation services for public housing
• Governance
  • $1.3 million in funding for community governments for operations and maintenance and water and sewer expenses
  • $1.3 million to support the GNWT efforts to increase its capacity for land use planning and to advance tenure enforcement efforts
  • $1 million to help advance lands, rights and resources and self-government agreements and strengthen our capacity to work with the federal government

Quote

“This Assembly has done a remarkable job of managing spending to help restore fiscal sustainability. This allows us to propose balanced investments in this Budget to harness change in program delivery and build a better tomorrow despite declining revenues. Our fiscal situation remains challenging, but our fiscal strategy is working to give us the flexibility to deliver on the priorities of the 18^th Legislative Assembly.”
-Robert C. McLeod, Minister of Finance

Quick Facts

• Budget 2018-19 projects an operating surplus of $23 million, the lowest in seven years.
• The narrowing operating surplus results from a projected 2.9 per cent decrease in revenues in 2018-19, as careful management has kept expenditure growth at zero.
• Budget 2018-19 proposes $57 million in increased net spending: $21 million in new investments in the priorities of the 18^th Legislative Assembly; $20 million to enhance or maintain existing programs; $38 million in adjustments to better reflect departmental expenditure needs; $5 million in amortization; and $28 million in savings.
• Short-term borrowing is projected to level out by the end of 2018‑19 to $301 million, bringing total borrowing, which includes short-term and long-term debt, to over $1 billion for the first time. The GNWT will remain below its federally-imposed $1.3 billion borrowing limit.

Relevant Links

• Main Estimates: 2018-2019
• 2018-2019 Budget Address and Papers
• 2018-2019 Budget Highlights
• Fiscal Responsibility Policy

Media Contact:

Charlotte Digness

Media and Communications Coordinator

Government of the Northwest Territories

Tel: (867) 767-9140 ext. 11092

Email: charlotte_digness@gov.nt.ca