David Ramsay

I’d like to ask the Minister who exactly the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation is responsible to and what the working relationship is between the Department of Transportation and the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. How are they held accountable in their role in getting this project completed?

Once again, I just wanted to say how great it was to hear the news that our own Brendan Green from Hay River was selected to the Olympic team yesterday. Again, I just wanted to share how impressive Canada’s Northern House is, and I urge any Member, member of the public or anybody that happens to be in Vancouver, to check out Canada’s Northern House, or check it out on the Facebook page, Twitter or the website at Canadasnorth.ca. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to provide a few comments on the budget. I think in balance it is fairly good. There are a lot of good things that are coming forward. I will get a chance as we go through the various departments to talk a little bit more in detail about some of the concerns that I have.

One of the issues that I have with the budget is if I was a consultant or a former bureaucrat sitting out there listening to the budget address yesterday, I would be going like this with my hands saying there is a lot of work out there for consultants. There is a lot of work out there...

I’m just wondering if the Government of the Northwest Territories, given what’s happened -- the project’s been delayed for a year, the inability to raise the required equity, the troubles with the designs -- are there any plans by the Government of the Northwest Territories to re-evaluate that relationship with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some more questions today for the Minister of Transportation. It gets back to the subject of the Deh Cho Bridge Project. Yesterday I had mentioned the fact that the project was sold to Members of the last government on the basis of a fixed-price contract. It was also sold to Members of the last government on the basis that benefits on the return on investment to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation would accrue to the community of Fort Providence. At the 11th hour the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation didn’t have the $5 million in equity when the concession agreement was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to start off by thanking Premier Roland and Minister Bob McLeod in particular for all their work on Canada’s Northern House and the work that they have put into that. I had an opportunity to attend the grand opening of Canada’s Northern House on Thursday, January 14th. I would like to advise my colleagues here in the House how impressed I was with this effort. It certainly goes to show how working with our neighbours in the Yukon and Nunavut can lead to many great things. Certainly if medals were handed out for entertainment that day, our own Ms. Leela Gilday...

I agree with the Minister. Yes, we do need to see this project through to conclusion. We will do that, Mr. Speaker. However, the public and Members of this House need to have every assurance that this project is being managed appropriately. Mr. Speaker, judging by the actions thus far, it doesn’t appear that way, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, during these negotiations, is the GNWT at the table in a meaningful way on negotiating the second portion of this project? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: how are the Government of the Northwest Territories and its department working to mitigate the potential financial risk to the Government of the Northwest Territories in this project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what are the outstanding financial risks to the Government of the Northwest Territories and what is it going to cost the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation to get out of its contractual obligations with Atcon? Thank you.