David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all I want to thank very much my colleague Mr. Abernethy, MLA for Great Slave, for his determination in bringing this motion forward. It’s not an easy thing to do and I think he has shown a lot of courage and conviction in bringing this issue forward to the House today in an effort to get some answers for the family. I couldn’t agree with him more in his statement that the family deserves answers.

Stanton has to be taken to task for providing answers. We owe it to the public that we serve to have answers provided to that family. It’s this family in this case and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d have to wonder whether the team that the Minister speaks of was hired before the audit was conducted or they’ve recently been hired to address the weaknesses that the Auditor General identifies in her report. Mr. Speaker, obviously one of the most important risks going forward is the construction costs on this and in that matrix it does not address the risk the department might face should the bridge be completed late, and we’ve talked numerous times about this. I’d like to ask the Minister specifically about that question. How is the department going to handle...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a few more questions today for the Minister of Transportation getting back to the Auditor General’s report. Honestly, this bridge is being built in a very challenging environment across the Mackenzie River, one of the great rivers of the world, and in a very remote location of the Northwest Territories. Construction costs, Mr. Speaker, would seem to me to be a risk that would be evident from day one. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation how the Department of Transportation is managing the risks on construction costs on that project going forward...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wasn’t really talking about the toll but I appreciate the Minister throwing that in there for me. I want to talk about the contingency as well. That was flagged by the Auditor General too. On a project of this size, how is it possible that we have a contingency of less than 2 percent or close to 2 percent on a project of this size? Judging by the items I have identified, it would take no time at all, Mr. Speaker, to eat that $2 million up. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have a design for three years into a project. You still don’t have a firm design. You’ve had more engineers, probably close to 30 or 40 engineers working on the project. It’s little wonder that you’re going to have trouble finding somebody that can come in and sign off on that project, ultimately, at the end of the day.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister what evidence does he and the department have that the other risks that are addressed in the Auditor General’s report are being managed effectively? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to join my colleagues in speaking out today against elder abuse. I was disgusted and sickened by a story on the CTV two days ago where a man and his wife had left his elderly mother in an unheated garage for an extended period of time. Mr. Speaker, this action was reprehensible and highlights the fact that elder abuse is happening every day, not only in communities in our Territory but across this country. In this case, laws were broken, but the abuse can take many forms, Mr. Speaker, such as financial abuse, people stealing money, belongings, forging cheques...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure met on February 16, 2011, to review Bill 18, An Act to Repeal the Settlements Act. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 18 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 18. Individual Members may have additional questions or comments as we proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s also not every day that the government puts close to $200 million of taxpayers’ money squarely at risk. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to get back to the question of responsibility and accountability. Now, in February of 2008, the regulations were amended once again, and again I’m going to ask the question, who is going to take responsibility for those regulations being amended to again put us at further risk, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you. I find it highly convenient that the government would waive the requirement to give Members at least 14 days’ notice regarding the indemnity the day before the concession agreement was signed and I’d like to ask the Minister who ultimately is going to take responsibility for that happening. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 7, oral questions. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted