Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, before I get into the financial arrangements made by the lenders and the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, with input from quite a number of sources, let’s be clear. There was a project put in place by a previous government that had a concession agreement that flowed into this government. The Deh Cho Bridge Act was put in place even prior to that. Members may throw about the words “messed up” and so on. The simple fact is that we have had to step in because of contractor issues, because of capacity issues of this project.

Now, if all of the pieces fell together as they were initially...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, our initial proposal to federal Finance staff has been a five-year window. We are unable to confirm at this time if that is what they presented to their Minister to bring forward. I could have additional conversations with them, but I know at this point trying to get it through again, his comment was short-term relief, project-specific and we are waiting to see what that actually means in the final documentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess, to deal with some of the spin that Mr. Ramsay continues to put out there and innuendo about things lacking and potential trouble here and trouble there, we’ve dealt with this from the day I first took the chair as Premier of the 16th Legislative Assembly, we’ve provided the information. Unfortunately we find ourselves here where we’re actually putting a document forward that would assume the debt and management of the project and make it a Government of the Northwest Territories, a fully owned and operated project of the Government of the Northwest Territories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of the Deh Cho Bridge Project, and assuming the debt has come to this session for that purpose, is one where we had to initiate additional discussions with the federal government to work with us around our borrowing limit. With that in place, there will be no further impact on this government or the next government. Of course, the next government will have to set its own fiscal strategy as to how it goes about investing and spending of the dollars that are available. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the other question that was asked if we approached the federal government to look at this as self-liquidating debt and treat this as a permanent bump up to our borrowing limit, again I talk about the relationship with Minister Flaherty and when he states on it, he’s honoured his word both when he said we are unable to do something or when he can do something. He made it clear that this was going to be short-term relief, that we would not see a permanent adjustment to our debt limit, so I know at that point that’s off the table.

As for self-liquidating debt...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Joining me at the table to my right is the deputy minister of Finance, Ms. Margaret Melhorn; to my immediate left is Minister Michael McLeod, Minister of Transportation; to my far left is Mr. Russell Neudorf, deputy minister of Transportation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to inform Members and NWT residents about the fiscal implications of the recent developments surrounding the Deh Cho Bridge Project.

Later today I will be tabling a supplementary appropriation estimates that will request the necessary authority for the GNWT to assume and administer the assets of the Deh Cho Bridge Project. The GNWT is also taking steps to assume the debt of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, totalling $165 million.

First, I want to assure Members and the public that assuming responsibility for the Deh Cho Bridge Project...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ve been informed that in fact the Minister of Finance did present a draft policy, I believe, to committee and is awaiting a response. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am here today to present Supplementary Appropriation No. 2, 2010-2011 (Infrastructure Expenditures). This document outlines a request for $165,439 million for capital investment expenditures in the 2010-11 fiscal year.

This supplementary appropriation seeks authority to record the work completed on the Deh Cho Bridge Project and to record and use the remaining cash available to complete the project.

This appropriation authority is required as the project will now be recorded directly as a GNWT asset in our financial statements. Up to now, the project has been recorded...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, as I had stated earlier, there’s a very fundamental question here about what’s being said here in the public forum. Even in committee, if Members, if any Member has information, credible information of deficiencies by people who are ready to put their status on the line, then do that. Let’s deal with the issue. But to continue to wave a flag about and make these comments is very dangerous to the professional credibility of all people.

We have a new project team, Associated Engineering, who is going to take over this and do the audit and provide that information...