David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I am hearing the Minister say today is it doesn’t matter what the project costs. If it costs 150 or 160 million, it doesn’t matter what the toll will end up being at the end of the day; $6, $7, or $8, that doesn’t matter. What matters the most to the government is that the bridge gets built. I think that is foolhardy, Mr. Speaker. I think the government has to come up with the real numbers and provide the House with the details on this project. No agreement should be signed off until Members of this House have a chance to look at it and question...

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The motion is to report progress. The motion is not debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will rise and report progress. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Austin. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we did receive a briefing about a month ago. However, Mr. Speaker, we don’t know what the total cost of the project is going to be; we don’t know what the tolls are going to be; the public hasn’t been involved at all. I believe we, as a government, at the very least we should go back to the stakeholders in the North Slave region where costs of goods are going to increase if the tolls on those trucks crossing that bridge are going to be in excess of $6. I’d like to know what the impact is going to be on residents in my constituency and the rest of...

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Yes, I will go to Mr. Aitken.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I just again want to reiterate I do support the construction of a Deh Cho Bridge. However, Mr. Speaker, as an Assembly and as stewards of public funds, we need to make an informed decision. Thus far, Mr. Speaker, I have not seen that. Mahsi.

---Applause

Does committee agree that Bill 3 is ready for third reading?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to speak again today about the Deh Cho Bridge project. Having now had the opportunity to read through yesterday’s Hansard, I am left even more confused today than I was yesterday. After listening to both the Premier and the Minister of Transportation, it would appear as though the decision to proceed has already been made. This decision has been made in the absence of any federal funding and, Mr. Speaker, the question was asked yesterday: Is the project contingent on P3 dollars from the federal government? The Minister of Transportation responded, "That...