Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to seek unanimous consent to return to item 20 on the Order Paper, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters.

---Unanimous consent granted.

It’s definitely not my intention to cast in any negative light any private carriers or small companies, but we do hear and have heard debate and controversy over the years about people, whether it was a violation of their rights to have mandatory drug testing in certain areas. You hear about in the oilpatch. I certainly know that large companies have their own in-house policies on drug testing and it’s particularly stringent, I believe, on anybody that’s involved in the transportation industry, and certainly for pilots, as the Minister says. I know there are medical tests and tests that are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we listened to the large amount of media coverage this morning on the Deh Cho Bridge on CBC Radio this morning, Mr. Ramsay was in for an interview, we heard the Minister’s comments in the media scrum after the House session on Friday, and I’ve been struggling and thinking, you know, what can we do to bring some more, I guess, transparency and accountability to this whole issue of the Deh Cho Bridge.

As my husband and I listened to the news this morning, Rick, who’s not known to be the politician in the family, suggested, he said, isn’t this the first time...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Information was shared with committee and I did speak to the House yesterday and indicated to them that I felt that the information that had been shared really belongs to the public, because we expect feedback from our constituents on how we proceed and how we go forward with this. I think that I am just trying to explain that one of the options that people out there may think is available to us is not available to us and I did not use a specific amount. I talked about a ballpark amount and I, Mr. Speaker, believe that in representing the interest of the public to know...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will respect whatever that ruling is. I don’t suppose I can retract the number now. It’s already out there, but, Mr. Speaker, it has been very, very frustrating as a Member of this Assembly to try to get information about this project.

I just provided a quote from Hansard. When we got elected as the 16th Assembly, I came in here and I asked specific question after specific question of the Premier about if any contracts, any agreements, any concession agreements, anything had been signed by this government and I was repeatedly told that nothing had been signed. Then I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to use my reply to the opening address to talk about the Deh Cho Bridge. The reason why it is important to talk about this today is that the people of the Northwest Territories have a right and need to know and understand what is happening with the Deh Cho Bridge Project because of its potential far-reaching impacts on the financial well-being of our Territory.

Looking at the history of this project, the enabling legislation called the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation Act was passed in the 14th Assembly. At that time the legislation contemplated a $50...

Okay, well, that’s good news. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to continue on with the detailed consideration of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and perhaps, since we’re getting an earlier start today, maybe even make it into the opening comments and general comments on the NWT Housing Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe that those discussions will be concluded before the time tomorrow, at some time tomorrow when the Minister has already committed to issue a press release. Even if the Minister can’t provide the specific details, I think there are some substantive pieces of information that could be made known to the public. I would like to ask the Minister again, would he release that, in as much detail as he is able to release it, before the House sits tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, there already is rumour and speculation out in the public about the status of the Deh Cho Bridge Project. Tuesday night MLAs received an update on the project. This is Thursday. The update that we received was substantial news, shall we say. This is Thursday and I believe the public needs to be aware of what is happening with this project, because, as I said in my Member’s statement, it could have very far-reaching effects for the operations of this government.

Mr. Speaker, this is a...