Joe Handley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm honoured to recognize some guests who have flown and driven here for the NWT Dog Sledding Symposium this past weekend. None of them travelled by dog team, by the way, I don't think. Mr. Speaker, with us today are Dr. Caroline Griffiths, a doctor in veterinary medicine from Colorado; Dr. Tim Hunt from Marque, Michigan; his wife, Mary Hunt; and Cate Stronge from Logan, Utah. I don't see Chuck Gould who is from Minnesota. We lost him somewhere. Also, Carol Beck who travelled in from Kam Lake.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to have a report, an update to the Member, before the end of the month from the regional director on where we’re at with the discussions on the transfer of positions, the creation of more job opportunities in Behchoko. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some Members are suggesting that the Premier should test one, but I am not interested right now. Mr. Speaker, we are looking at them. I will have to get back to the Member on when we can have a review done, but, all joking aside, seriously, we are looking at them. They look like tubs that would be much more convenient for some seniors. I will let the Member know as soon as I can how soon we can get a definite answer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are continuing to build houses in all of the regions through the affordable housing initiative. We don’t build housing specifically for staff but we’re building affordable housing that people can either rent…We also build public housing that people could continue to rent. Mr. Speaker, I can give the breakdown of where we are with the whole North Slave and possibly by community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of the bridge has gone up; there is no doubt about that. The cost to the public has not gone up. It is still $6, or $6.75. I don’t know how many times I can repeat that. That has not changed. Mr. Speaker, why has the bridge gone up? How is it being managed? How are we dealing with all of this? We did a presentation to the committee on July 12th. I don’t want to go through all of those pages, but I will give the Member a copy of it. That can help him to understand why it has gone up and how it is being handled.

Mr. Speaker, while the costs have gone up...

I am not sure I understand what is meant by who is our agent. We don’t have an agent as such. The bridge is being built and is going to be owned by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation for a period of 35 years. During that time, they will, as the Member has said, collect tolls and do the maintenance and so on.

During the construction, they are the ones who will sign a contract with the construction firm, Adcon, who is doing the building of the bridge. Mr. Speaker, when they sign the agreement this week, then it is for the beginning. The contractor wants to begin the construction this fall in...

Mr. Speaker, without taking anything away from Nunavut or seeming to take things away from that territory, I will certainly lobby for the development of our capacity in the Western Arctic. I believe that any shipping that is going to happen through the Northwest Passage is going to have to be between Banks Island and the mainland. That is a relatively narrow body of water and it is an area that would be quite simple, in my view, to monitor.

Mr. Speaker, the other reason I continue to lobby for the West is because of the oil and gas and the interest by both United States, through Alaska, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I already answered that one, but the GNWT has loaned the Bridge Corporation money to pay all of their costs up to now and will continue to do that to the point that the financing is in place for the bridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We don’t have to go back to the trucking companies or the industry again. It’s still the same amount as we said it was in 2002 indexed. So that $6 is now $6.75 or so. By the time the bridge is built in 2010 it will be something different. That’s the same deal that was offered to the industry and trucking companies in 2002. It’s still the same deal. Mr. Speaker, it’s very simple. It’s not hard to figure out.

What has the cost of the total project gone up? Well, there was a presentation done to the committee on it. I can give the Member another copy of it if he...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The bridge is a result of negotiations for financing, contracting, consultant services, oversight and so on. There is a whole range of negotiations going on. That kind of analysis is an ongoing exercise. Mr. Speaker, I give the Members assurances that that bridge at today’s prices is doable for $6 a tonne in 2002 dollars. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.