David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a few more questions today for the Minister of Transportation getting back to the Auditor General’s report. Honestly, this bridge is being built in a very challenging environment across the Mackenzie River, one of the great rivers of the world, and in a very remote location of the Northwest Territories. Construction costs, Mr. Speaker, would seem to me to be a risk that would be evident from day one. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation how the Department of Transportation is managing the risks on construction costs on that project going forward...

Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to ask a question today about concerns over the design. Also in the Auditor General’s report it talks about concerns over the design being brought forward by the Department of Transportation and somebody somewhere overriding a recommendation of the department to continue to waive the requirement for the design being done and to proceed with construction. It is paragraph 27, if the Minister wants to have a look at that. I would like to ask how that could happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will ask questions to the Minister of Transportation regarding the Deh Cho Bridge on decisions made by this current government under their watch today.

Mr. Speaker, in reading the Auditor General’s report, it would appear that an external audit of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation’s financial statements had not been done while the Auditor General was looking at this project. That means that trying to put a figure on the cost to date on that project just leaves a lot to be questioned. Does the Minister have a cost to date on the Deh Cho Bridge Project? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I take exception to the Minister referring to me as instigating the Auditor General into taking a look at this project. I have had questions about this project going back seven years. Mr. Speaker, apparently I am not alone. If you read the Auditor General’s report, there are a lot of issues that I have addressed over the years that are clearly articulated in here as being an issue.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister talks about all the risks being addressed. Where is the budget for the remaining other work like the electrical distribution, the catwalks, the cost of resolving claims, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got some questions today for the Minister of Transportation regarding the Auditor General’s report on the Deh Cho Bridge. I listened quite clearly to the Minister’s statement from earlier today where on page 2 he says we continuously identify risks and track mitigation measures. I am confident that we are adequately managing risks to ensure the highest standards of quality and safety are maintained in this project.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister says that, but quite clearly in the Auditor General’s report risk management is certainly called into question by the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on February 16, 2011, to review Bill 19, Municipal Statutes Amendment Act. Following a clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 19 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 19. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on February 16, 2011, to review Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 15 to the Assembly as ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 15. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed.

Thank you. It is a difficult position to be in, but some of my colleagues across the way were there when these decisions were made. The decision was made to change the regs the day before the concession agreement was done, which, for all intents and purposes, meant that the former government, the previous government was fully intent on getting this project done despite anything else. They wanted it done, they got it done, Mr. Speaker. What I can talk about today and I can ask the Minister this question: where does the responsibility lie for a February 2008 decision of Cabinet to change the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seeing as we’re talking about regulations being amended, in September 2007 the Contract of Indemnification Exemption Regulations was amended to allow for specific indemnity in the concession agreement. This happened on September the 27th of 2007, the day before the concession agreement was in fact signed by the previous government. I’d like to ask the Minister why that regulation was amended, which would have meant that the Cabinet had 14 days to inform Members of that decision to indemnify the lenders, but that was amended and Members weren’t notified. I’d like to ask...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That begs the question: why were the regulations amended in February 2008 to indemnify the lenders in this? Why were the regulations changed if they were following policy as the Minister states? Why were the regulations changed? Thank you.