David Krutko

This project’s been on the books as long as I’ve been here. We’ve been spending dollars over there on the community access road funding of $250,000 a year. I think we have two kilometres of road built. It’s not as if this is something that this government isn’t aware of. You can go all the way back to, I think, former Members of this House with regard to Richard Nerysoo. He brought that issue up to this House going back before the 13th Assembly. For the Minister to make the comment that it hasn’t really been a priority of this House or an issue of this House, what does it take to get a project...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine from Aklavik who runs a plumbing and gas fitting business is having a tough time sustaining his business in Aklavik because of competition from Inuvik by way of contracts. Mr. Speaker, I received an e-mail from this individual this morning, which basically is a tender for the community of Aklavik is being put out in regards to a gas fitting service in Aklavik, with no consideration for local businesses that can basically provide the service and not have competition come from...

I thought that question was going to get referred to the Minister of Transportation, who seemed to know where the capital dollars are coming from.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, we talked about unconventional ways of building capital. That is what the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation Act is. It is an unconventional way of building a bridge for $165 million. All I ask from the Minister is to allow other organizations or bridges to be considered for replacement or being built under public infrastructure that we consider having that option on the table similar to what was in place with the Deh Cho Bridge in light of what is being considered for the Peel River Bridge.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you know, this project is a community access road project. There was also a motion passed in the House regarding the Aklavik access road to their gravel source. I’d like to ask the Minister if there is going to be any capital dollars available for that project to go forward in the next fiscal year.

Mr. Chair, I move that the committee strongly recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories take immediate action to develop and deliver a small community chipsealing program;

And further, that the departments of Transportation and Municipal and Community Affairs take cooperative and concrete action to ensure small communities are able to access sustainable funding levels and technical expertise to achieve meaningful progress in regards to the local road surfacing in small communities.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just like an update from the Minister. What is the status of the airport in Fort McPherson and also the airport for Tsiigehtchic?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, can we get a breakdown on where these $313,000 are being expended, which communities?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was a program previously in regard to a chipseal program that was delivered by the Department of Transportation on behalf of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in regard to small communities. I believe there were some 15 communities that were identified to have work done on it and I know that because the Department of Transportation has the expertise in regard to road building, that’s why there was the partnership involved with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and the Department of Transportation who had the engineering, the design...

Mr. Speaker, in regard to any equity share that you liken to business, there are usually gives and takes. I’d like to ask the Minister, would you also consider that you’d look at an equity share, that you’d forgive the tax by way of corporate taxes and any tax revenue that may come from these developments, and in lieu of those revenues would you consider what the financial implications of those decisions are?