Glen Abernethy

With respect to routing lines, there are several different options and there has been some costing suggested, but the costing was actually provided by Deze themselves and the NWT Hydro Corporation, both obviously proponents of a particular route. I was wondering if there was any opportunity or could the Premier facilitate the acquisition of costing that wasn’t done by the two organizations that want to go a particular direction. I think it would be interesting to get an independent assessment that would cross the islands, the island route or outside the sub-islands or even the western route...

I encourage the Premier to refocus this project and find a third-party partner who, in addition to understanding the value of making a profit, understands the social importance of this project and that the people of the Northwest Territories who are stakeholders and owners of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and the NWT Hydro Corporation, and that their desires and wishes must be heard and addressed as the Taltson expansion moves forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will be asking the Premier some questions based on my Member’s statement. Thank you.

I get a business case, I understand it. Quite frankly, it makes sense to me. If you want to make a lot of money, the eastern route is the best thing. If I was a businessman or a member of Deze, that’s what I would want as well. But I’m not. I’m a territorial politician and so is the Premier and what we need to be doing is we need to be working in the best interest of the people of the Northwest Territories.

I’m not convinced that is the best route. I am happy the Premier is willing to meet with us and give us some additional information, but what I want to ask the Premier is if it’s too late to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are in follow-up to my Member’s statement. On March 3rd, in responding to questions from my colleague Mr. Bromley, the Premier said, according to the unedited Hansard, “We have looked at this project and this project has been built on a clear case of a business model. If we want to establish more to it, then we can do that.” Later, in response to another question, he indicated, according to unedited Hansard once again, “So if this project goes, and it will go only by the fact that it’s a business case model, if we add more to it, then we lose the business...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I made a Member’s statement with respect to the Taltson expansion and the importance of making decisions on a territorial resource that is in or for the public good. I followed that statement up with questions to the Premier and encouraged him to put the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories at the forefront of Cabinet decision-making on this project.

I strongly encouraged the Premier to work with Deze in the best interest of the people and, as a stakeholder, encourage them to consider alternate routes where long-term benefits are greater for the...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Next on my list is Ms. Bisaro.

Seven years isn’t that long. I would encourage you to try, if you can, to get some additional time in there.

One of the other questions I wanted to ask was with respect to qualifications of the new project management team. As indicated, I don’t have confidence that the project management team put in place by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation has the knowledge, skills and abilities to deal with a project of this magnitude. This is a huge infrastructure project and I think if we had some individuals in the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation who had the background to deal with such a large infrastructure...

Thank you, Minister McLeod. We’re on page 5, 2010-2011, Supplementary Appropriation No. 2, (Infrastructure Expenditures), Transportation, capital investment expenditures, highways, not previously authorized, $165.439 million. Next on my list is Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is more than just the western route; there are the two across-the-lake routes, and if I remember correctly, I think the costs on those aren’t quite as high as going all the way around the west. One might be $40 million and one might be $50 million. I don’t know for sure, but it’s quite a gap from the $100 million that the Premier is suggesting. I’m thinking that the costing that we got was from Deze. Deze wants to go around the east. How do we know that the costing we’re getting for the other routes are fair and reasonable? Would the Premier commit to actually...

Thank you, Premier Roland. Mr. Krutko. Next on my list is Mr. Hawkins.