Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Just an opportunity to comment on the Department of Justice and most particularly policing. Not so much in this fiscal year’s budget, but in last year’s budget, in terms of community policing for smaller communities, I am very pleased that the House supported two positions for the community of Fort Simpson dedicated towards a long-term goal of establishing a detachment in the community of Wrigley. The increased patrols are welcome for the community. However, they are still supportive of a full-time detachment.

In the course of the discussion with the RCMP, there...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In my opening comments I indicated the frustration of the people in my constituency about the increasing costs and they actually asked the question, why are we paying over here in Nahendeh when we will hardly be using the bridge. They actually brought up the fact that many other large infrastructure projects in other jurisdictions it is a full toll system for everybody, and one of the fellows brought up the Coquilhalla Highway and it actually pays for itself.

In this case, we are talking about a toll for only 18-wheel trucks or a certain amount of axels, but in other...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. With respect to the appropriations that are before us, there is the $15 million for advance contribution to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. I had remained largely in support of the Deh Cho Bridge Project and largely quiet on the issue. However, the feedback I’m getting from my constituency is that their initial gut reaction is they are fed up that they want the taxpaying public to bail out this project. My members were sceptical of the $165 million price tag. Like my colleagues in the House, they knew that over-expenditures were coming. As well, they’re not...

I’m glad that the opportunity is there, maybe there, to salvage as much materials as we can for the public and special interest groups. As to the timing, does the Minister know yet about the timing, when the demolition will begin and when it will be complete? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on my Member’s statement and the questions in the House of last week with regard to Deh Cho Hall, to the Minister of Public Works and Services. Our government has been on a campaign to reduce, reuse and recycle, and here’s an opportunity to do it with our Deh Cho Hall that’s slated for demolition this coming summer. But I’ve been hearing reports that there may be an environmental report out there saying that all the material is contaminated. Can the Minister tell me if this is true?

I would like to thank the deputy for that answer. I guess the frustration was that taxpayers from throughout the North don’t want to continue to see themselves paying out of their pocket for errors and, for lack of a better word, the situation that we are currently in with the Dehcho Bridge Project. People are still out there; they are absolutely convinced that this cost will not stop here and will be increasing. I don’t know how much assurance that the Minister or the deputy or the Transportation Minister can give us. Yes, we are 50 percent done and with this amended budget we can complete...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’m going to continue my statement from Monday and speak about housing problems in Nahendeh. In 2009 the NWT Community Housing Survey confirmed that Nahendeh tops the region with the highest rate of core need at 36 percent. This survey also reveals that 236 houses or 32 percent of total households are inadequate and require major renovation or repair. I am looking forward to seeing repairs completed on both public housing and privately owned housing.

However, in some cases homeowners are in arrears with the NWT Housing Corporation. In many cases it is because they...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to comment on a couple of things and the Minister will probably correct some of the figures, because I don’t think it’s going to take $32 million to take down two schools, and I’ll wait for the opportunity for him to correct that.

But in terms of the Deh Cho Hall in the community of Fort Simpson, it’s an economic opportunity. That’s the way I see it. I certainly support this line item in the budget. It’s an economic development opportunity for the community. I’ve always said that we’re one of the depressed regions today. There’s work and the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to ask the Minister of ITI a few questions on conducting post-mortems on failed businesses. I’ve had a bed and breakfast fail in the community of Fort Simpson and conducting a post-mortem on that business would kind of look at how the Department of ITI could be more helpful, or the BDIC, in this situation and why did the business fail. I’m not too sure if it’s our responsibility, but is there anything within the department mechanism or program that could assist in something of this nature?

No, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.