David Ramsay

Thank you. I missed the beginning of the Member’s question. So perhaps you could allow him to re-ask that question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There remains one outstanding claim with ATCON that the department continues to pursue and look for a negotiated settlement to that claim.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thirty-five years. Thank you.

Like I mentioned earlier in answering other questions, in March it became apparent that the project would not be able to be completed in November. We had to go back. We had to look at a way to ensure that the project would be complete in November. We didn’t really want to look at another year’s delay in the project which, undoubtedly, would cost us more money. There were a number of outstanding claims associated with the project. This wraps it all up. It gives budget surety. It gives schedule surety so that we can see the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge. We’re looking forward to the day when...

Mr. Speaker, it’s in our best interests as a government to work with the contractor to move forward and not look back. I believe the negotiated settlement in completing the project and working with Ruskin is a much better approach than going back and dealing with the long list of claims and being stuck in court for a number of years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, many of the decisions the Member talks about were decisions of previous governments and, yes, some people ask questions and some remain silent when decisions are made by government, and that happens. We got to the position we’re in today. The original budget was $165 million. During the life of the 16th Assembly there was a decision to put another $15 million into the project. Late last year, because of a year-long delay, there was another $10 million decision, and today we’re faced with the $7.2 million to $9.5 million ask of government, to see the completion of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question, but that’s more of an operational question. It would be something that I would be more than happy to go back to the department with and provide the Member with the answer. Thank you.

This contract dates back a number of years. I wouldn’t be able to comment on the decision of the previous government.

Mr. Speaker, there always could be potentially unforeseen circumstances, but again, my expectation – and I have been following this project closely for a number of years – is that this will be the final ask of this government to see the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge in November of this year. We can move on after that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In negotiating a way forward, and negotiating with Ruskin on the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge, I mentioned this earlier in response to another question, if we don’t open the bridge in November, it’s an immediate $9 million hit to the Government of the Northwest Territories. What we’ve done is negotiated our way out of a number of construction claims on the project that run in the millions of dollars, somewhere probably around $10 million. This way we’re going to move forward. Yes, it is going to cost us some more money, but we’re getting budget certainty and...