David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my right I’ve got the deputy minister of the Department of Transportation, Mr. Russell Neudorf and to my left the assistant deputy minister, Department of Transportation, Mr. Daniel Auger. Thank you.

The Member is correct; as we develop resources in the Sahtu, there’s going to be increasing demand for commercial space at our airports, not just here in Yellowknife but in Norman Wells and other airports in the territory. We need to work at finding money to enable us to have those lands available for commercial development. That is going to take advantage of the resource development that’s happening in our territory and other developments that are happening. That’s an important step as we move forward. Perhaps I can go to the deputy minister for more detail on that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my pleasure to present the 2012-2013 Main Estimates for the Department of Transportation. The main estimates itemize the department’s requirements to carry out activities detailed in our annual business plan. This plan will continue to protect our transportation infrastructure as we work toward our primary mission for providing for the safe, secure, accessible and reliable movement of people and goods, while looking toward the future and responding to the needs of the communities and industry.

The department’s main estimates propose an operations expenditures...

We will endeavour to do that. At the end of the day we want to see the airport construction in Trout Lake concluded for the benefit of the residents in Trout Lake. We do feel that they have to benefit from that construction as well. We will do our utmost to ensure that happens.

Mr. Speaker, we want a territory where a strong, diversified economy provides opportunities and choices to all our residents. Socially responsible and environmentally sustainable development of our resources will be one of the keys to achieving that goal. The Northwest Territories is resource-rich and brimming with potential. Today I would like to speak about some exciting developments in the oil and gas sector and of the significant opportunities the development of resources can bring to our residents.

The Sahtu region is a prime example of potential in the petroleum industry. A 2011 call for...

If it makes the Member feel any better, it has happened to me as well. It happens. I think reminders are certainly a good thing. Under the new motor vehicle information system that we have, reminders are a part of that system. We are looking at utilizing that. With driver’s licence, it is a letter. It is every five years, but with registrations, if we can get a reminder out there through the MBIS to folks, that would be good.

At the end of the day, the onus is on the driver of the vehicle to know when your registration has expired. That is where the buck stops, but we will do our best to...

I appreciate the Member’s comments. We will continue to monitor this. Those type of airships, it may be that they don’t even need to use the airport, the type of aircraft that they are. We will continue to monitor and I know the department is aware of the plans there. If we need to act and work with that company, we will do that.

It would be whatever our capital spending has taken place. Highway No. 3, Highway No. 4, just to name a couple. We can get the list for the Member if he likes. Thank you.

Yes, we will be updating our Transportation Strategy and issues like that will certainly be a part of that.

The extension here in Yellowknife is probably closer to $20 million. Again, if the need is just so that we can land some jets from Europe and Asia, then we have to gauge that expense against what we are going to receive out of it as an economic benefit. Maybe it’s time we took another look at what the opportunity is there and what that investment would mean. It’s a capital investment of upwards of $20 million to expand the runway here in Yellowknife. I don’t think we can give up hope on...

It would have stayed the same. It was just a repair. Thank you, Madam Chair.