David Krutko

Minister of Public Works, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 8, oral questions.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Again, Mr. Chair, getting back to my original point in regard to unforeseen events, like I mentioned, the shoreline erosion communities, one of the biggest challenges the communities are going to face, especially in the Arctic, is permafrost. We can see what permafrost is doing to communities such as Inuvik in regard to the infrastructure from roads to public buildings. For us, that cost is an unforeseen cost. That cost is not part of the capital expenditure funds that were given to communities. The formula funding does not contemplate what that is and we realize that could be in the billions...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Finance, did you want to respond to the comment?

Mr. Speaker, I believe the decision was made here in Yellowknife and not in the community operations. If anything, they agreed that they can still operate. I would like to ask the Minister if it is possible to extend the season as long as possible so people are still able to move goods and services and the people back and forth, people working on the highway, people out at 8 Mile, so they are able to get back and forth across the river. But, more importantly, with the mild weather that we are receiving here in Yellowknife that we are probably going to see a short winter season this year...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, getting back to my questions, I don’t want to leave the impression with the public that’s out there that we don’t care for our municipalities and the Minister is the only one that does. I don’t think that’s an appropriate comment. I’ve been here for 14 years raising issues on behalf of my constituents, and I’m still raising issues that haven’t been resolved for 14 years.

Regardless if you transfer that authority to municipalities or whatever...In the past there was a funding source called extraordinary funding which was there to assist communities whenever there...

Agreed. Page 5-10, Public Works and Services, petroleum products division, activity summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.265 million.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ferry service throughout the Northwest Territories is an essential service to deliver goods and services and also for the public to travel, hopefully as long as they can. Mr. Speaker, the ferry operations in the Mackenzie Delta have been closed on the Mackenzie River last week, but there’s been talk about closing the Peel River Ferry at kilometre 74 this weekend, which, Mr. Speaker, I received some photographs from my constituency assistant and sent it off to the Minister to clearly demonstrate there is no ice on the river, it is wide open. Yet, Mr. Speaker, they’re...

I’ll try to repeat the question. My question is that there were eight communities that were not incorporated and would not be able to spend their capital investment dollar because they were not incorporated. They did not have the ability to own assets. I think for ourselves, as a government, before we made this transfer, that problem should have been solved and not told sorry, you are getting a bunch of Building Canada funds but you can’t spend it because you are not incorporated. That is the issue. I think as a government, that should have been solved or find ways to mitigate the problem so...

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome, witnesses. Can we turn to page 5-2, Public Works and Services, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $27.260 million. That will be deferred. To page 5-4, Public Works and Services, activity summary, asset management, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $18.953 million.