David Ramsay

Again, I would like to thank Premier Roland and his government for getting us to where we’re at today. Again, Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is very fortunate to have some strong friends in Ottawa who I know have helped pave the way towards this AIP: Senator Dennis Patterson from Nunavut, former Premier George Braden, former Minister Bruce McLaughlin, and Minister Leona Aglukkaq. Thank you.

I would like to see a university north of 60 as well, but, like the Minister said, there is going to be competition for the first university north of 60 with Nunavut and the Yukon. And even though we work closely with both of our friends to the east and to the west, this will be a competition, and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Government of the Northwest Territories has to put their best foot forward if a decision is going to be made and some sizeable dollars to build a university north of 60. We need to, I’d say, get out in front of this and develop a sales pitch...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to talk a little bit about a dedicated campus for Aurora College here in Yellowknife. I’m starting to sound like a broken record. Year in and year out Members talk about getting out of the facility we are in here in Yellowknife and getting into a dedicated educational setting, a stand-alone facility here in Yellowknife. That’s something that has to be a goal of the department and the college. That needs to happen sooner rather than later. The lease is coming up in the next couple of years at the current location and I think we should be exploring all...

I understand that and I understand that there are rules in place for the utilization of federal dollars. If the rules were in place that allowed it to be spent on the respite program in one year, I’m just wondering how it could change to the next year.

The next question I’d have for the Minister -- and we all know concrete is very expensive; the department has entered down this road of a Foundation for Change -- is the money that was earmarked for the respite program going into the Foundation for Change and the cost to that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just having trouble trying to understand the numbers. Previously the number that I had was a projected toll revenue of $5.1 million and the most recent the department has provided us was $3.2 million. They also said an increase to 7,100 trucks would result in another $650,000, which would put you at $3.8 million on annual revenue. So how did the numbers drop from the projected $5.1 million to a projected $3.2 million in annual tolls? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, if it does cost more than $90 million, obviously given winter construction on a project of that size and nature, and given the fact that it is steel that is going to be erected on that bridge, it would seem to me that, given the delays in the project, costs are going to be incurred. If they are incurred, is it the responsibility of the contractor or the Government of the Northwest Territories to pay any additional costs over $90 million? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will that information also be posted on the Department of Transportation’s website for the public to see? Thank you.

If the audit was to take two months and it’s taken six, I’m just wondering if that’s cost the government any additional money to have the construction audit finished. Thank you.

The real economics of the project should also be put on the Transportation website as well, and I’ll have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously the days are getting much shorter and the weather is turning cold. Snow is on the ground both here in Yellowknife and at the Mackenzie River crossing at Fort Providence.

Back in July when it was much warmer, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Abernethy and I had the opportunity to tour the Deh Cho Bridge Project in Fort Providence. Work was continuing on the piers and the approaches, but there was no steel anywhere on site. We were told then that the steel would be showing up sometime in mid-September, but it didn’t.

It is now the third week of October. I would like to know when...