Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Premier for that. I hope it doesn’t go to show the importance Ottawa places on our government or lack of it. I would like to ask the Premier if he’s communicated to them his disappointment that we are not in the room at the meeting. On something that is so important to the Northwest Territories, we have to be there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's always a pleasure to recognize our former Speaker from Fort Providence, Sam Gargan, and also a former resident of Fort Providence who got swept off her feet downstream and ended up in Tulita, Cheryl Yakeleya. I'd like to welcome them both, Mr. Speaker.

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Thirty years ago, Thomas Berger put a moratorium on pipeline development. That was the best thing he ever did, I think, for the people of the Northwest Territories. It gave us an opportunity to get into the picture, take advantage of some of the opportunities. The Inuvialuit, the Gwich’in and the people of the Sahtu have seized that opportunity and put themselves in a position where they could see some benefit from the pipeline for them and the people that they represent.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions later on for the Minister of ITI or the Premier. I am going to need to know where we...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee recommended this motion because foster parents provide a very important service. I have had the opportunity at one time to foster a couple of boys, so I have an idea of what is required of foster parents. To see that the government put a little bit more money raising the basic rates I think is a good thing. The cost is going up. One thing I would caution the government…Right now, you have people that aren’t foster parents. A lot of these people care very deeply about children, their safety and their well-being so they, regardless of the remuneration...

Anyway, I just want to stand up, Mr. Speaker, and say I do support this motion. There is nowhere in this motion that says don’t build a bridge and it’s harder for some of the Members from outside of the region, outside of Yellowknife, to support a project like this. We are not saying we don’t want to see the bridge built. All we are saying is just show us some information. I will be happy with that. That’s all we are asking. We aren’t saying don’t build a bridge. Thank you.

In some of the marine communities, they have a four-week window to get their avocados.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was looking at this over and over; nowhere I see in here where it says stop the bridge, don’t build a bridge. I don’t see that.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the meeting, my understanding, is on Ottawa being offered equity into the project. I would like to ask the Premier if this government would be able to, if offered, take an equity share in the pipeline. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. It just surprises me that we hear so much talk about cost and you do one stretch that is $5,000 per kilometre. What happens if an accident happens on another stretch on another kilometre where it wasn’t dust controlled? Are those people worth more than $5,000? I would think so. We have been fortunate that we have not had as many accidents as we could have had on that highway. The Inuvik to Fort McPherson section of it is very bad. I would like to ask the Minister to be the Transportation Minister. He has to know all the highways....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister -- he said they would be able to enter into a signed agreement with the Town and the Slow-pitch Association -- who would have the authority to sign this agreement on their behalf so that it is a binding agreement five years down the road when all the players change? Thank you.