Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wonder if I can get an update on the situation in the Sahtu, given all the activity there. I don’t see much in the Sahtu other than a tractor for the Norman Wells Airport. I’m just wondering what the status is. Is the Minister anticipating getting… The word “prepared” comes to mind. If we could get an update on what the strategy is. I understand there is something like $630 million worth of activity in the Sahtu this year associated with the oil development alone and I’m just wondering what sorts of pressures we are experiencing and if there’s anything coming up...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to propose a motion. I move, if I may, that this committee strongly recommends that the government take immediate action to identify the multi-year funding necessary to complete construction of the Detah access road beginning in fiscal year 2014-2015.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. If we could, at the same time, provide that by community, the number of new spaces and the affordability of those child care spaces, that would be appreciated.

What is in the budget for new child care spaces and facilities this time around here? Thank you.

The Minister made many interesting statements there. First of all, safety, I would say, is an issue, and I can back that up with however many people the Minister would like me to bring as witnesses. It does, as the Minister said, take constant maintenance to maintain safety conditions on this road, and here we have a break in that constancy.

It would be very nice if we could just wait while we pursue these other funds, Corridors III or IV or whatever. But I’m afraid the conditions on this highway don’t stand aside and wait for the Minister to come forward with those dollars.

I think the Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. It’s clear. The data are in and they’re accumulating more rapidly by the day. Universal daycare provides huge returns. The Quebec and Scandinavian examples prove those returns on dollars invested. Most recently, Quebec, Canada, $1.49 for every dollar invested, Mr. Finance Minister.

Will the Minister commit to examining this model closely and reporting back to committee soon so we can take action? I know he did express interest when this was brought up in committee. Sorry. I retract that remark. I know that the Minister is interested in this...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be supporting the motion here. I appreciate my colleague bringing this forward. This relying on industry…(inaudible)…policy, as we heard during our tour in the Bakken from just about everybody not to rely on industry, don’t be controlled by them. In fact, take control and make them participate and so on. We heard a lot of horror stories last winter, and I know the Minister and the Member for the Sahtu described some of the close calls they actually witnessed, and we’ve all heard stories from people who drove the highway and observed people or truck drivers and...

Thanks to the Minister. We are certainly a planning Assembly, and we are hoping for action. After two years in office, people, of course, are starting to get tired of hearing statements of commitment and intentions. I feel that they are starting to look for actual actions.

Could the Minister estimate how many affordable daycare spaces have been created since we were elected?

That’s great. Thank you very much and thanks to the Minister. I know there were some real incidences there. It wasn’t just a concern that it might happen; it actually was happening. I appreciate that information.

I’m always open to hearing more on what we are up to there, but it sounds like we are doing some monitoring of the situation of the possible solution in Norman Wells. It sounds interesting.

I also just wanted to comment very quickly again on the wood pellet boiler plan for the Yellowknife Airport. Again, I’m very happy to see that sort of thing. Now the Minister is on the right track...

I would also like to recognize today Mr. Tony Whitford, a resident of Weledeh, as well as Amanda Mallon, also a resident of Weledeh. I would like to add my voice in recognizing Mr. Stu Duncan, who was on, I think, one of the very original boards of Ecology North back in the 1970s. It’s great to see him visiting our fair city once again. I hope he sees a good difference. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up briefly on the application of EK35 product. Sometimes my memory slips on what this is exactly, so I just want to confirm. I have a feeling it’s a substance used for dealing with moisture on runways that suffer from frequent large temperature changes as a result of our changing climate. Am I in the right ballpark on what EK35 product is used for? Thank you.