Masi, Madam Speaker. [Translation] Madam Speaker, I want to talk about senior citizens. We want the best for our seniors, and that's why we are speaking up, and the Premier had just given out the priorities, and one of them is elders. Sometimes, the elders' private home furnaces don't work. We want to make people aware of that to help them. [Translation ends]

Today, I would like to walk the talk and discuss something that is very important to me, and that is carrying for our seniors in the Northwest Territories; more specifically, my region. Madam Speaker, On February 7th, the Premier tabled...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. This is a mega project, and it's right in the heart of the Tlicho, the Monfwi Gogha De Nihtl'e area. My citizens, my Tlicho citizens, have every right to know why the contract wasn't awarded to the community of Behchoko. We do provide those services, and instead of going all the way from Yellowknife, just imagine the cost of delivering that service. If I can ask the Minister to further look into this matter, because it is an important matter that has been addressed to me by my constituents, even the workers at the site. On this particular water and sewer contract, why it...

Obviously, I was hoping to share that the numbers were much higher instead 30 percent, 35 percent, because we have a southern firm, the main contractor at the site. It's unfortunate that it's around 30, 35 percent, during the construction phase. The Member alluded to other figures, but that's during the life of the road. I'm not talking about a particular area; I'm talking about the construction site. If the targets are not met, is there a penalty attached to that agreement between the parties?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to make a statement regarding the highway to Whati and how the contracts were given out regarding the employment. There is a lot of employment that will go into it. It is going to be a three-year contract. We are hoping that we include a lot of training on the job and also businesses. I would like to say a few things regarding that. [Translation ends]

Whati all-season road is a P3 project with a 20 percent Tlicho Government partnership with the main contractor North Star Infrastructure, a non-NWT company. The project includes...

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation not available]

I have a couple of written questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Can the Minister of Infrastructure please provide a breakdown or detail of all the contracts and subcontractors at the Tlicho all-season road construction, and please provide addresses for these contracts and the length of their contracts. In addition, provide some details of O and M contracts and subcontracts after the construction is completed in 2022. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

As I stated earlier in my Member's statement, I drive the road on a frequent basis and I see different vehicles that go to the site. One of them happens to be a water and sewer truck and the van, of course, I talked about, the cargo van. I understand the service contracts for water and sewage and for shuttling workers back and forth to Yellowknife were awarded to an outside firm. Can the Minister explain why the water and sewer contract was not awarded to the Behchoko community government?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] When I made my Member's statement, I touched on the road to Whati and how contracts have been given out. I would like to ask the Infrastructure Minister a question. [End of translation]

Mr. Speaker, I spoke earlier about the construction of the all-season road to Whati. I am just wondering: what are the local, regional benefits provisions of the agreement that was signed between the GNWT, the Tlicho government, and North Star Infrastructure relating to this project?

Masi, Madam Chair. Obviously, this has been a critical issue since we first discussed it, a university of the North, a polytech university. We have existing challenges in our communities, I know Mr. Bonnetrouge alluded to on several occasions. He is passionate about it. Our own students are struggling in secondary schools, and here, we are talking about a university in the North. We have three existing campuses and 32 community learning centres. When you look at the three campuses, most of the programs are fairly empty, and it is been a real challenge over the years.

My view is that we should...

This is a very important project, and my understanding is that a proposal has not really been submitted yet, unfortunately. I want to ask the Minister: what discussion has this Minister of Infrastructure had with her federal counterparts regarding the funding for this very important project, the Frank Channel Bridge?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] There is a major bridge on our lands. It is called Frank Channel Bridge. Without that bridge, we know that we won't be able to transport a lot of things, and it is really old. I have questions for Infrastructure. [End of translation]

[Microphone not on] ...part of the North Slave highway lifeline to the rest of the territory, and also to the south. It is 50-plus years old and badly aging. A question to the Minister of Infrastructure: where does a new Frank Channel Bridge rank in the capital plan of the Minister's infrastructure department? Mahsi.