Mr. Chair, sometimes I think the officials are as flummoxed as the honourable members are. On the issue that had been raised around the table with the minister on funding for first nations in particular, there are a number of programs in the department's budget where they do not have ongoing funding. They're programs that have periodic renewals, and that's often very useful because it's an opportunity to take stock to look at the underlying policy or spending and make adjustments.
In the case of the main estimates, what you see in the main estimates doesn't account for a number of those programs for which the money is actually there in the fiscal framework and they're going through a renewal process. Just in terms of the technical detail, under voted appropriations we have funding increases of $164.8 million, and those are for the following: $63.5 million for growth in first nations and Inuit health programs and services, $29.3 million in funding for implementation of the B.C. tripartite framework agreement on first nations health and for funds for the First Nations Health Authority, $22.3 million for the renewal of the first nations water and waste water action plan, and $23 million for the territorial health investment fund.
Now the main estimates also include decreases of $170.6 million, but those are for the programs that are actually being renewed, so those funds will actually show up in supplementary estimates. Between the $170 million sort of phantom decrease, which will be renewed in estimates, and the funding increases, there's a negative so it looks in the mains as if the funding is dropping. In fact the funding is increasing because we are going to have those renewals. You have to add both sets of programs together.
Generally speaking, we have a predictable steady increase in funding every year for the spending that takes in the first nations and Inuit health branch, and those funds are required because our expenses are rising. The funds provided in the fiscal framework actually go up every year. I can assure members—and I'd be happy to send a letter—that there is no decrease in funding in this area.