Michael McLeod

I was at the NWT Association of Communities meeting. I didn’t vote on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I think we have compiled quite a bit of information. It’s fairly comprehensive. We want to have the ability to have that discussion with the EDI committee and we’re hoping we’ll have some time. In fact, maybe even during this session we’d be able to do that or in the next little while. If we’re going to do anything major, we’d need to have it at least into the House for discussion by next sitting. That’s something that we have been looking at. However, before I make that decision, before I make that...

Mr. Speaker, most of the communities have been contacted. Most of the communities are aware of the work in the immediate proximity. We expect a list of information will be out to the communities before I do my tour of the Member’s riding, which is going to be in a couple of weeks. I am sure there will be more issues being brought up and a lot more investment that is going to be pointed to as they feel required. That information we intend to get out to the people of Nahendeh and will also show that information as we go to the communities as well.

Mr. Speaker, once again I have to say that I can reassure the Member that our goal is to do all the work. We have $4 million for Highway No. 7. We have, I think, 64 kilometres to chipseal on Highway No. 1 that leads towards the Member’s riding. We have a new airport to relocate in Trout Lake. We have a road in Jean Marie River and we also have a commitment to do more work on the Nahanni Butte access road. There is a lot of work that has been committed to. We have a plan for this year. Weather permitting, we will get it all done and contracts are out. We are focused on getting it completed...

Mr. Speaker, it is going to cost us a lot less than what it would cost us to stay in the concession agreement. Thank you.

We plan to update all the positive aspects. The Member’s been doing a good job highlighting some of the negative ones, but we also have to flag those. There are a number of audits that are going on. There is a technical audit that we have embarked on and we have committed to the Members that we would share that information. We’re about halfway through that. We have a lot of documents. We have a lot of information to be able to sift through and see where things are at and we hope to conclude that in another three to four weeks. Of course, we have the Auditor General that has been invited by...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide Members and the public with an update on the Deh Cho Bridge Project. I want to say that I am very much looking forward to the day that the bridge opens to traffic in a year and a half.

Mr. Speaker, in just 18 months we will be able to drive across the Mackenzie River 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No longer will the residents of the North Slave be cut off during spring breakup. No longer will commercial vehicles sit and idle, waiting for passage on the ferry. No longer will low water and ice in the river disrupt service. No longer will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s not very often in this House we get so many MLAs say nice things about one person.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I have also had the honour and the privilege of serving with Tony and working in this House in his position at Sergeant-at-Arms, and then when he became an MLA, and then a Speaker.

For me it was always interesting to talk to Tony because he’s actually a walking history book. I wanted to talk about issues about Highway No. 3 when we were in the Members’ Lounge and then he started talking about when he was building it and driving a Cat and pushing down trees when...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Minister of Transportation’s Report to the Legislative Assembly for 2009 on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (1990). Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I believe I was the one that informed the Member of this clause that’s in our policies. It is public information already. I’m not sure how much more public she would like to make it, but if that’s not what she’s asking, I’d sure like to sit down with her and seek clarity on her quest.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all sites that are used for construction of facilities, our transportation links fall under certain rules and responsibilities and if reclamation is part of our responsibility then we will certainly look at it. In this case, I’d have to go back and see who the owner of the pit is and whose responsibility that would fall under. Thank you.