Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. That particular project, source 177, is amongst the many priorities that are laying before us as Cabinet to decide on. Once again, we’ll work with committee in establishing the priorities as laid out by the guidelines of how we’re going to spend the money for the federal programming that has been announced. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Member that myself and this government, that we are doing nothing; that we are not saying no to the Inuvik-Tuk road. Some of the new initiatives that have been announced in the federal budget, the details are still being worked out and we’d like to see what they are so we can roll out the program. We’ve committed to the House and to committee that we’d like to work with you in identifying the priorities of where to allocate that money there, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, we have maintained, and will always maintain, that responsibility for new...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, my first job as Minister was to go down to Ottawa and pound on the doors and meet federal Minister Cannon and advise him that this was one of our priority projects. The Deh Cho Bridge is a top priority, in fact. So over the course of Christmas and spring, our deputy minister had gone to Ottawa as well and talked with them. Of course, the federal budget unfolded, Mr. Speaker, and they did announce all kinds of money, and bureaucratically, even though they announced it, Mr. Speaker, they still had to work out the details...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we’re looking at completing it throughout the course of the summer and this fall and certainly the areas that need immediate remediation will certainly be addressed and discussed as we sit down and discuss the capital planning this summer. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we had responded to the joint letter from the community leaders of Fort Smith, as well as the MLA there, Mr. Speaker. There will be chipsealing happening on Highway No. 5. I believe it’s around kilometre 88 for this year. The Member does bring up priorities in the new federal infrastructure funding that the details are currently being…We have not seen the details from the federal government, but some of the priorities of where we’re going to spend that money does indeed rest with the responsibility of this House and in committee, as well, and we’ll be...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There is a revised financial forecast and absolutely your colleague had indicated that the lack of government participating with committee, but we did have a briefing in early January or February and divulged as much information as we had at that time. We did indicate at that time as well, Mr. Speaker, that the financial forecast did include increases in traffic volumes and that helps our business case. However, the tonnage was going to remain around $6 at that time. However, based on our concession agreement and inflation, those rates are flexible and can...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What we had done as our government…because the devil is in the details and federal funding, as well we are looking at ever-increasing costs of putting off the bridge project, that it’s something we are looking at and as much federal government commitment as possible. Mr. Speaker, it’s kind of like we don’t want to put the cart before the horse in this case, but we are proceeding very often, like Mr. Braden indicated, Mr. Speaker, and that’s how we are proceeding. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We’ll certainly look at discussing the needs for Highway No. 5 in the current business planning cycle. Mahsi cho.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The section that we are chipsealing is kilometre 88 to 106. We are looking at the whole highway system. We are dedicating some resources to an engineering study, Mr. Speaker, that will tell us exactly what the deficiencies are on Highway No. 5 and where we must strategize and look forward to, hopefully, eventually chipsealing the whole highway. I know that’s in the Member’s long-range plan as well as ours. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize teachers and students from Nahanni Butte. I’d like to recognize Meagan Bertrand, Jarvis Tsetso, Logan Matou, Melvin Vital, Josh Bertrand, teacher Wayne Ingarfield, assistant Martin Pritchett, and as well as chaperone Mr. Bruce Dauphinee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause