David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Thanks, committee. We’re on page 12-21, Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, energy, operations expenditure summary, $5.731 million.

Page 11-21, Transportation, highways, operations expenditure summary, $54.220 million. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Committee, we’re on page 11-13, corporate services, operations expenditure summary, $9.705 million.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Minister.

I don’t want the Minister to be quick to criticize my committee for sitting on this for five months. It’s been a year and these guys have not come up with a plan on the balance of that fund. I’d like to ask the Minister if the decision to lend the $34 million last year changed the way the federal government looks at the fund, now wanting us to book that whole entire fund as debt. I’d like to ask that question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak today about the disposition of the Opportunities Fund, a fund Members will recall was used to give out a $34 million loan just over a year ago to Discovery Air. In talking about the decision to lend that money I don’t want to relive that whole debate today, but Discovery Air did make some commitments to this government that I believe need to be followed up on.

First, they were to relocate their head office from London, Ontario, to Yellowknife, which I understand is in the works. How come it took over a year for that to happen? Does the move include the...

Again, I just wanted to state again for the record, I am not opposed to the partnerships and I don’t want the Minister to think that I am opposed. However, I think the department needs to learn something. This partnership that we got into with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, they never had the required equity. They still don’t have the required equity. It’s cost us as a government nothing but headaches and money, Mr. Chairman. Again, we have to be very careful when it comes to getting into partnerships with folks who don’t have the equity and can’t deliver on the project at the end of the day...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have just a few opening comments on the Department of Transportation. I guess I just want to start off by saying this whole thing with the Deh Cho Bridge, Mr. Minister, is not something that is easy for us to be talking about, easy for myself to be talking about. I have the utmost respect for the Minister and the department. However, we are in this situation. I would expect if the Minister or any of his Cabinet colleagues were on this side of the House and the project was in the status that it’s in, I would expect them to be asking the exact same questions I am...