David Ramsay

Thank you, Madam Chair. The department does a needs assessment every year and has to substantiate every capital request that’s submitted. Thank you.

Madam Chair, we are addressing a need. It’s through federal funding that we look at the $60,000 in partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard. We work with other folks in Hay River to try and get up as much of a program as we possibly can. The requests keep coming. I know I’ve heard both Members from Hay River talk about the requirement for dredging in the port of Hay River. That’s how we can answer the call. We don’t have millions of dollars, but we can offer assistance where need be. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the Members’ comments on our budget. It’s important for us to hear Members’ concerns.

I know we had a good discussion today about the Inuvik-Tuk highway during question period. I’m sure there will be more questions as we get into some of the detail. Although there is no money per se in the budget this year for the Inuvik-Tuk highway, I would be more than happy, under the highways section, to answer any questions Members may have. It would be very interesting and maybe I’ll just put this out there. Any questions, I am very curious to know what we haven’t told...

Yes, there are reports there. In fact, I believe the benefit analysis is on the website, as well, so Members could go to the Department of Transportation website and avail themselves of the information that’s there.

Thank you. I have no idea who the Member is talking to, but it’s not the same people we’re talking to. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Two are directly related to the safety management system, one located in Fort Simpson and the other in Inuvik, and also a technical service officer airports division located in Yellowknife. That would also deal primarily with the SMS. Thank you.

That would have been 1994, and it was a multi-million dollar operation at that time. They had a program that was run on an annual basis here in the Northwest Territories. The program ceased to exist in 1994.

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Along with the heavy usage of the road, weather was also a big factor early on when the road did first open. This operating system, we got $1.2 million from industry and they have been very supportive in helping us construct and maintain the winter road in the valley. All indications are that next season we may have even more industry buy-in to supporting the government’s efforts on constructing and maintaining that winter road down the Mackenzie Valley. Discussions have been good thus far, but whenever you talk to industry, they want to support getting the winter road to be the best that it...

Mr. Speaker, we are not ignoring the risks. The reality is, in a project this size, there are risks. There are risks in everything. There are risks when you walk outside the door. We will, like we provided to the Members of this House, provide publicly the risks associated with this project. We are still trying to put this together. Thank you.