Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to spend any time here today rehashing the items that are in the budget and what aren't. I've sort of sat down to formulate my thoughts over the last week or so and really thought my best bet would be to get up to speak from my heart because that is where I am what I am using to make my decision.

One thing that I have really learned over the last three years now in this role or almost three years is that we are only as strong as our weakest community and that until we start to build up the small communities and all of our residents in need...

In favour.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister misunderstood me. I actually don't want her at the meetings. I was asking about the technical staff, the lower level. It is my understanding that only high level meetings are occurring at this point. And as we need to have this lift of material go down this year, does the Minister commit to directing her department to find the money to start the lift this year? Thank you.

(Audio)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. Does the Minister understand the difference between a joint venture and an Indigenous government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, has the department met with the JV since February 7th when their proposal was submitted? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's my day to be on oral questions, I guess.

With the Minister's comments around sorry, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure continuing along this line.

With the comments about there being a mutual conversation that needs to be had, that worries me, Mr. Speaker, because we don't have a lot of capacity in some of our areas to do this type of work, and I'm worried that the department is not going to be able to negotiate with this contractor in good faith in order to get this work done.

Can the Minister speak to what the contingency plan is should they not...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister speak a little bit to the fact that this project hasn't been underway for that long and given that it really only got started in the last year, how did we get to $40 million in cost overruns without this being flagged prior to now? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to make an attempt to ask the questions that I think my colleague from Inuvik Twin Lakes may be wanting to ask.

On Monday, the Minister of Infrastructure spoke about delays to the Inuvik airport expansion. It's my understanding that that those delays are partly due to a cost overrun of $40 million.

Can the Minister speak to whether or not the GNWT will be on the hook to pay the cost overruns, or will the DND pay for that given that it is a hundred percent dollars for this project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And yes, the original 2023 sort of target was definitely prepandemic times, and of course, I'm assuming everything has been delayed as a result.

I wanted to just move on and ask the Minister around another project that could potentially be very critical for not only Canada's strategy but also for economic development in the Northwest Territories. Given that the Tlicho AllSeason Road is now opened, this does open up an area of resource development around the NICO Mine.

Could the Minister speak to whether or not there has been progress on that project and the development...