Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, maybe I have a solution for Mr. Hawkins’s request…

---Laughter

…an all-weather road via Tlicho communities. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation said in February that the department, last year, completed a Tlicho corridors options study that looked at an all-weather road and the all-weather road corridor option in the Tlicho region. The department also completed economic analysis of the benefits and costs of both realigning the Tlicho winter road through an over-land route and upgrading the seasonal route to all-weather...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move to report progress. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight reviewed Bill 9, Write-off of Debts Act, 2007-2008, at a meeting on June 8, 2007. Following the clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report Bill 9 to the Assembly as ready for Committee of the whole.

This concludes the committee’s general comments on Bill 9. Individual Members may have comments or questions as we proceed. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question would relate to the winter road management committee. Since the Department of Transportation is responsible for transporting goods to the mining companies, I’d like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, if he’s willing to sit down with the winter road management committee if they can consult with the Tlicho Government, because rightfully it’s in our jurisdiction, Wekeezhii and also Monfwi Gogha De Niitlee area, if he’s willing to do that? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with this proposed winter road realignment and all-weather road in our jurisdiction, it would be much cheaper and also a shorter distance to travel to the mine site from the south. As you can see in this diagram, it clearly shows, from the department, that that’s the best avenue to go, the Tlicho connecting the communities onto the mine site. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister, can the Minister tell me if the Department of Transportation will be asking for money towards this initiative in the next business plan, for the Tlicho road connecting through...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in August of 2007, there was an advertisement in a native journal. The Kitikmeot Corporation wants to build a port, a road to Bathurst Inlet. The port will be capable of handling 25,000 tons of ice class vessels. A 211 kilometre all-weather road is south of some of the richest minerals in the territory and Canada. Nunavut is moving forward, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that we did something positive in our jurisdiction here in the Northwest Territories. There are three diamond mines in our backyard. We currently have jurisdiction over them....

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that was just the beginning of my oral questions here. My next question, Mr. Speaker, is I asked the former Minister of the Department of Transportation to consider the pros and cons of transferring the responsibility for Highway No. 3 maintenance to Behchoko, taking into consideration the cost efficiency as well as the need to stimulate employment outside of the capital city. The Minister was to report back to this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm if this work has been done and, if so, what were the results? If not, why not? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, this is the third time I have raised the issue. There are two Department of Transportation crews that work on Highway No. 3. The Yellowknife crew is responsible for the section from Yellowknife to just before the Behchoko access road, the junction. The Edzo crew is responsible for the access road to Chan Lake towards Providence.

Mr. Speaker, I asked the current Minister of Transportation in February of this year if he would consider transferring the responsibility for maintaining a section of Highway No. 3 between Boundary Creek and...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move we report progress. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have 37 letters signed by students and parents from the community of Gameti on the Gameti school addition concerns. Mahsi.

Tabled Document 40-15(6): Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowance Fund Financial Statements For The Year Ended March 31, 2007