Wally Schumann

Yes, that is correct. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2017-2018 Main Estimates for the proposed Department of Infrastructure. Overall, the department’s estimates, totalling $240.4 million, propose a decrease of $4.5 million or 1.9 per cent from the 2016-17 combined estimates of the Departments of Public Works and Services and Transportation.

These estimates continue to support the GNWT’s objective of ensuring a strong and sustainable future for the government and its programs by managing expenditures due to limited revenue growth.

The 2017-2018 Main Estimates include an increase of $2.9 million from...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We make sure that all winter roads are safe for travel for the general public. There have been a number of initiatives done on this road in the last five years. If we go back to our stats, we spent roughly $1.6 million on the Sambaa K'e road in the last five years. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I have said, we have our money allocated here. We are not willing to put any more money into this due to the fiscal situation the Government of the Northwest Territories is in. The Member has his point; I have my point. We will continue to spend the money that we have in the communities as they come and approach us for their projects. Many of them are very valid. Actually, all of them are valid, and we will continue to spend the money to help create these projects in the communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, we have not put this project on pause. While the federal government is trying to figure out how they're going to allocate their infrastructure money, we continue to look at other opportunities moving forward, be it the department or CanNor's funding or other opportunities moving this initiative forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As I have said, we have already engaged with stakeholders on this very topic, and we are very confident that the LNG plant and the propane people will have sufficient storage to get the community of Inuvik through this transition.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to sum up a little bit of everything that we are doing on this file. As we know, this is important to everybody in the Northwest Territories. It is a true fact of life that is coming down the pipe for the whole country.

First of all, we are working with the federal government on a number of initiatives. We have some people working directly to get remote communities off diesel fuel, which is important to all northern communities right across Canada. The Department of Finance is working with the carbon tax file. There are two things right off the bat.

When we were...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I heard what the Member is saying, and my intention is not to pile onto the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to do that. We are holding our line with our budget line right now. As all the Members know, our expenditures are outpacing our revenues, and the reason we are holding our line on our expenditures is due to that fact, and we need to get the government's fiscal house in order.

This is a great fund. What I am saying is, if a community comes forward with a business plan that can create jobs in their communities, this is one way that they can use both...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, on the Mackenzie Highway, as all Members are aware, we announced the Canyon Creek project. Hopefully, that is getting kicked off here in the next month or so, with that initiative moving forward, employing a number of people and training them in the Sahtu region.

As far as the Mackenzie Valley Highway ask with the federal government, as I have stated in the House, the federal government put that program on pause. We have submitted a business case for that project moving forward, and we are waiting to see what the federal government does, coming in their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Upon review of the ferry service in the Member's riding, I have been on record that the costs outweigh the benefits when we have had a serious look at this. That is the reason why we are bringing this forward in this budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.