Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I chose to raise this issue because it is, like I said, becoming two incidents within the last three months. It is quite disturbing to the family. Now they had to recover costs and worry about that, but initially I still do not understand. The family still does not understand why the spouse who was injured or very sick was not assigned or designated an eligible spouse. That is the issue I would like to raise with the Minister. I would like her to check into it. Maybe there is an internal memorandum that has to go around and say, look, are we applying the policy...

With regard to the non-medical escorts, who makes the actual call to have the non-medical escorts accompany… In the two cases that I spoke about in my Member’s statement, there were spouses there, Mr. Speaker. So who would actually authorize or designate these non-medical escorts to travel along with the spouse in the medevac plane and/or immediately soon thereafter? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 7 on the Order Paper.

---Unanimous consent granted,

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I looked at the fiscal updates along with all the other Members and I’m not really convinced that spreading it out for an additional five years will be of any benefit at all. I think our fiscal forecast showed that even without the Deh Cho Bridge debt on our books we still had to have some strong fiscal measures for the following year. I think that’s an important aspect. It doesn’t do us any good to have special over-expenditures for a longer period of time, I don’t believe anyway. So because I’m not convinced. I won’t be supporting this motion. I’ll abstain...

Mr. Speaker... [English translation not provided.]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week Members have been called back to consider legislation to establish the necessary authority that will provide for the GNWT to administer the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge. I spoke in the House in February to point out that Nahendeh people don’t want to see any more over-expenditures on this project. As taxpayers, they do not want to be left to pay for the cost overruns. I trust that, as Minister Michael McLeod advised in response to my questions in February, over-expenditures will eventually be offset by the...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was certainly in the Cabinet on the day that started the whole process of the Deh Cho Bridge. I have no problem to say that I continue to support the bridge. It was a megaproject. It was good for the North and even after we were elected, up to a year ago or 18 months ago it was a timely project. The economy was going downhill and providing work and opportunities to the North certainly was a good thing. However, I still continue to support the bridge. I ran out of friends in supporting the bridge, Mr. Chairman, only because of the debacle that has happened in the last...

Mr. Speaker...[English translation not provided.]

Following up on the MACA Minister, I, too, will talk about the Arctic Winter Games.

Watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canadians had the pleasure of cheering their athletes on to glory. Next week many of our young NWT athletes will be participating in the 21st Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alberta. They will be competing with eight other teams, four Canadian and four northern international teams. Given the Canadian success at the Olympics, I think all athletes will be pumped, I predict lots of fun, lots of personal bests and lots...

What is the exact expected date of completion of the new floor, Mr. Speaker? Thank you very much.

I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention one of my most passionate items that I’ve raised in this House, which is the Nahanni Butte gymnasium. We had some deficiencies, we had a plan to address them, and I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services at what stage is the repairs of the Nahanni Butte gymnasium to the deficiencies. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be pleased to take the Minister’s offer on reviewing those documents. If he could commit to get them to me as soon as possible.