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

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommend that the Minister issue a directive reinforcing the use of extended families in the placement of apprehended children and that every effort be made to place children with extended family within the child’s home community before a child protection worker considers placement in a foster home in or outside the child’s home community. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

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

Mr. Speaker, in summary of what I said, this whole purpose of the motion that’s in front of us, I think it has to do with transparency and accountability. They’ve talked about this bridge for a number of years. Even when I came on board two years ago, I hadn’t really heard of the bridge project. I heard it may happen depending on federal funding. If federal funding comes in, then make a move on it. All of a sudden, we are in the 11th hour and boom, boom, boom, we want to build this bridge.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we have to consult...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, the committee is appreciative that one of the results of the passage of Bill 5 will be the inclusion of a new clause in the preamble of the Child and Family Services Act that states “And whereas a child’s extended family can often provide important supports in meeting the best interests of the child;”.

A preamble to an act is important in that the preamble sets out the principles that will guide the application of the act.

Recognizing the role of the extended family in child protection matters is an important step and now we need to take the next steps to ensure...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House today to raise a point of personal privilege. Mahsi.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Question to the department and the Minister: What responsibilities does the department have in maintaining the residential access roads? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, as I outlined in my Member's statement, the importance of having those cabins on Highway No. 3, with the new road being in place just a few years now, that those cabin owners have been left out in the cold, unable to access their traditional road to their cabins. So I'd like to ask the Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, can the Minister direct his department to repair this access road that I specifically embarked on -- Mr. Charlo’s camp -- and dump some gravel in the open ditch that has been created through the...

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

My question is for the Minister of Transportation:

Can I request a detailed cost to repair and service the Highway No. 3 access roads, specifically to the Charlo’s camp on a monthly basis?

Can I also request for copies of meeting minutes or documentations on the previous contractual discussion? Specifically the community/local private contractor’s complaints.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, offer the same invitation to the Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation to consider travelling on Highway No. 3 to visit these cabins. I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, as a follow-up from my previous question in a different format. As Mr. Menicoche outlined, there was a disagreement on the private contractor. Is the Minister willing to sit down and talk about the potential contractor again, because that contractor he was referring to was before August, 2005, with a new Tlicho agreement? Mahsi.