David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just keeping the Members informed of the process and, more importantly, ensuring we keep the project on budget and control the expenditures of the government realizing we are looking at tough times going ahead. So I’m just keeping that in mind. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to the Inuvik Paving Project, the estimate for the project was basically $2.8 million, which the federal share was $349,000. Out of that there was a shared cost between the territorial government and the municipal government of $2.45 million. So I’d like to know what is the breakdown for that particular amount in regard to the infrastructure funding that was allocated.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, I think this is something that we have to monitor closely, because with the changing climate, as we can see, this problem is going to become more apparent, and if anything it’s going to become a bigger headache than we’d hope. I think it’s not only going to be public infrastructure, it’s going to be the majority of the infrastructure by way of roads, buildings and also looking at the foundation of movement around communities. I think that we have to keep a close eye on that. So I’d just like to request that we do get updates on this going forward, realizing there...

Just a couple that jump out at me is the bypass road in regard to Yellowknife where there was an arrangement in place. Apparently the project went over budget so this government came along and helped them out there. The same thing with the Inuvik paving project, which again, those large municipalities receive a majority of the gas tax money based on population, but yet when it comes to communities with dust control and those types of issues, realizing that communities don’t have the capacity to make any major capital investment dealing with chipseal or dust control, we don’t seem to have the...

I’d like to ask, are there any other facilities that are falling in this category for infrastructure? Because I think that foundation problem can be pretty expensive. Are there other of these types of projects coming forward in regard to foundation problems in the Inuvik region?

So, Mr. Chair, from what I’m hearing from the Minister, if the Gwich’in wanted to have all their health boards and that in the Gwich’in Settlement Region operate independently, they can go right on and do it and come under a different system and follow what they do in Hay River without having to follow the rules we expect every health board to. So basically we’re endorsing independent boards to operate independently from the system by not doing anything.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am not asking questions in spite. I want to make sure that we are trying to be fiscally responsible. We realize we are probably going to have a tough year next year. I want to make sure that we monitor these programs going forward. I think that it is important to get this information hopefully by the time we conclude this. I would just like to ensure that we are on budget and we are trying to control the expenditures on these projects and we don’t have them run away from us like the Deh Cho Bridge.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Following up on similar questioning, I would just like to ask if there are any legal ramifications from doing this by way of being a separate health board. I think that, if anything, you know, we talk about taking all our mental health, alcohol and drug workers and bringing them into the government so that everybody’s treated fairly and everything else, so you don’t have the disparity between one group over the other. So I’m just wondering, is there a legal hold-up to doing this or is there the possibility of a legal challenge, or is it just that we don’t want to do it...

I will wait.

I’d like to ask the Minister if it’s possible for his department to come forward with quarterly reporting to this House regarding the vacancies of these units, where they are, and what efforts are being made to fill out those vacancies so that we have houses in the communities that are being occupied.