Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a few questions for the Minister concerning the $5 million for the Tuk to Inuvik highway. Can he confirm that we have the gravel sources confirmed for the construction of this highway?

I was just asking about the procurement of the work and how the government expects to maximize northern content and northern employment. We’re talking about this as an economic development driver. How is the department expecting to maximize the fact that the Northwest Territories is going to see the full impact of this $299 million project?

I realize that some of these are specific to the whole project, but my feeling is that the $5 million commitment here is kind of a tipping point if we go forward with this. I think we should be supportive of the whole project.

I guess my question is for the contracting out of this work and more to follow. Does the government expect contractors to carry bonding to complete this project?

I’m looking at this supplement here for $5 million, and there only being several weeks left in the fiscal budget of the territorial government, I’m just wondering how the department expects to be able to spend this money on the upgrade to the 177 access road.

As I indicated earlier, I think the $5 million we’re approving here is one piece of the large puzzle, and I think we’ll be seeing further supplements here quickly. Basically to the point of committing to the project, I think this is a tough decision for a lot of the Members here to decide what we want to do with this money and whether we support this project. For me personally, it’s been a challenge back and forth. I know it’s large infrastructure money, and it’s hard not to look at last projects such as the Deh Cho Bridge and the overruns there. The Deh Cho Bridge had a revenue stream to it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to rise today, too, and recognize International Women’s Day. I’d like to congratulate the five recipients of the Wise Women Awards this year. Like my colleagues, I’d like to talk about the politics and ladies in politics. Obviously, we have two Members here, Jane Groenewegen and Wendy Bisaro. Good examples for the youth of today’s Northwest Territories.

I’d also like to recognize two members of my town council: Donna Lee Jungkind and Kandis Jameson, who also are striving to put women into politics and make sure that there’s a good balance there. Like my friend...

I just look forward to seeing the way the structure is completed once we have the project up and running and the entity, how it’s going to be run.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a question about the fibre optic link contribution, the $7 million. Is that an interest cost or can we capitalize it?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is about the NWT Heritage Fund. We have guidelines in place on that contribution and what those funds will be used for in the future. Is there a buffer time zone that we don’t withdraw that money within the first 10 years of the fund or is there any kind of guidelines?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m just looking at the taxation revenues. I’m just looking at the projection, the main estimates for 2012-13 and ’13-14. Obviously, we’re seeing an increase, if you compare those numbers, but the revised estimates have us at $312 million. I’m just wondering why we wouldn’t project that same type of number and why that number has jumped up from our main estimates and would we not expect that in the future years to come?