Wendy Bisaro

I thank the Minister for his elaborate comment. I’d like to also ask the Minister, later on in his statement he talked about undertaking a retrospective analysis of the project after it’s completed. I know we’re aiming for completion somewhere around November 2012 but that retrospective analysis presumably is in the works to a certain extent at this point, looking at the staff time that’s required and so on. I’d like to ask the Minister when he thinks that we might be able to get a full retrospective analysis of this total bridge project. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. My last question has to do with this anomaly, which is going to happen every four years. I’d like to know from the Minister, is there any opportunity to start the process earlier. This call went out in June. Why can’t we have a call going out in early May or mid-May? The funds were approved the 1st of April. Can the Minister look at putting the call for applications out at least a month or two months earlier? Can we not get the awards done within a month or a two-month time period? Thank you.

I’m not sure if I should thank the Minister for that response or not. I have a really hard time believing that the government does not work while an election is in progress. Ministers are in place until the new Ministers are elected, so I really have a hard time believing that between June of 2011 and even the beginning of the election period, September of 2011, that some work could not have taken place for these applications.

The Minister also mentioned that these had to be approved by all parties. I would like to ask the Minister, before people were advised of the grants and the awards from...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize an almost-constituent. It’s not a reincarnation, an incarnation of myself with the granddaughter of a constituent, Ms. Dylan Harker. Welcome to the House, Dylan.

I’d also like to recognize Mr. Byrne Richards, co-chair of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s surprising what one can find while looking for something else. Last week I found the following statement in a GNWT document titled “Framework for the GNWT Response to Homelessness,” and I quote from there:

“NGO programs need GNWT financial support. The GNWT recognizes that:

non-government organizations are the front-line service providers for the homeless;

NGOs require predictable and multi-year financial support; and

terms and conditions of contribution funding need to support the flexibility of the non-government organizations.”

That’s very gratifying to me to see...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 2-17(1), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2012-2013, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 2-17(1) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to ask the Minister at this point my question earlier about the bridge. He kind of sidestepped it neatly. For people who are looking to get some kind of answer on the amount of money that we’re going to end up spending on the bridge, I did ask the Minister if he could give us a bit of a range. I mean, are we talking a minimal amount of money or are we talking a lot of money?

I know in the Minister’s statement he referenced some of the things which will produce the added costs. So I’d like to ask the Minister again, are we talking in the order of $5 million or...

Thanks to the Minister. The Minister talks about sharing that information with Members of the House. I would like to know whether or not that information would also be shared with the general public. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister of Transportation. I listened, with interest, as he gave us an update today on the Deh Cho Bridge. I have to admit there was a bit of a smile on my face when he indicated he’s spoken about this issue many times before, not necessarily from the chair that he’s in at the moment. Towards the middle of his statement the Minister mentioned that it’s now estimated we will require additional funding to complete construction. Again I had to say to myself, I went, yeah, that’s not much of a big surprise. He goes on to cite some of the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will do what I can to shorten my comments. I understand the protocol that he’s referencing. This was hardly an emerging issue or an emerging program. This is something we’ve been doing for a while. I would like to ask the Minister, in retrospect, in knowing that it was five months to go from call for applications to awarding, what will the Minister do to make sure that the process is reviewed so we don’t have this happen again. Thank you.