I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. We are dealing with Minister’s Statement 1-16(1), Sessional Statement. What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Sessional statement. With that, I will allow the Premier to respond to comments. Mr. Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Transportation.

Can the Department of Transportation provide a report on the status of culverts along the Dempster Highway? Specifically, I request:

a report on culverts that have collapsed on the Dempster Highway;

the age of the culverts on the Dempster Highway; and

the timeline to replace these culverts.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Sessional statement. I have Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Bromley. Mr. Ramsay, second round.

I’d like to ask the Minister, would he seriously look at the possibility of implementing a territorial program to chipseal our gravel highways in the Northwest Territories?

Next on the list I have Mr. Abernethy, Member for Great Slave.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is crucial that we do come up with a territorial change in regards to how we maintain our gravel highways in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister again, would he ask his department to work with other departmental agencies? We have a chipseal program in regards to MACA that we’ve just piloted, and I believe it’s a good start but I think we have to expand that to include our roads throughout the Northwest Territories. So I’d like to ask the Minister, would he take an in-depth review of the maintenance program we...

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. At this time, I would like to recognize in the visitor’s gallery a former Member of the House, Mr. Roy Erasmus.

---Applause

Next on my list I have Ms. Bisaro, Member for Frame Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the highway systems that we have in the Northwest Territories are a critical component to connecting our communities, people, our programs and services that we deliver, and also to ensure that we are able to deliver government’s programs and services.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot lose sight of the conditions of our highway systems throughout the Northwest Territories, especially in regards to Highway No. 8, the Dempster Highway, our ice roads that connect the communities of Tuk and Aklavik to Inuvik, but also, more importantly, not to lose sight that those road...

Mr. Speaker, the committee has been considering Minister’s Statement 1-16(1), Sessional Statement, and would like to report that consideration of Minister’s Statement 1-16(1) is concluded. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.