Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Chair, I just wanted to reiterate for the record that this project is replacing Sir Alexander Mackenzie and Samuel Hearne, two fairly large schools, and as Mr. Aumond indicated, it’s going to provide the schools under one roof. Those are two large facilities. There’s a large school population. So we have to keep that in mind as well. It speaks to the size. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, first I’d just like to acknowledge the Member raising this concern about too much information on specific contracts that skewed the tendering competitive bid process. We’ve attempted to address that.

In terms of the evaluation process, as I’ve indicated — it’s been raised by yourself, Mr. Chair, and a number of your colleagues, including Mr. Hawkins — we will come forward in the final analysis, as we finalize the process, with that component built in.

The issues are to do more with issues tied to bonding issues and such.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The work of the infrastructure subcommittee that is looking at the whole capital planning process is, in fact, trying to identify and come to grips with recommendations to deal with issues that the Member has raised: the concern about overdesign, the cost factors, the issue of standardized designs, the moving towards bundling of projects so that we can in fact be more efficient.

For us the evidence over the years has been clear in terms of the cost, the number of carry-overs, the number of tenders where there was one bid or no bids or bids that are not even close in...

It’s subject to approval by the House.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There’s the broader work on the capital planning process. The first significant step is being carried out through the Cabinet Subcommittee for Infrastructure, working through and with the Refocusing Government Strategic Initiative Committee. Through that process we’ll commit, as we bring forward the whole package, that we have the appropriate checks and balances and that accountability is built in so that whatever we do, in the final analysis, is set up to have the proper support and set-up to succeed.

The number that’s in the capital plan of $115.365 million, the number that’s been agreed to, though not finally signed off by the Government of the Northwest Territories, is within that appropriation.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chairman, we have a very clear, specific figure that’s been agreed to, but the contracting process has not been concluded. Therefore, we have to respect the confidentiality of that process until the final documents have been signed. Once those documents have finally been signed, we would be very willing to share that number with the committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be happy to work with the Member to complete the tour that was interrupted earlier last spring.