Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was looking at this over and over; nowhere I see in here where it says stop the bridge, don’t build a bridge. I don’t see that.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the meeting, my understanding, is on Ottawa being offered equity into the project. I would like to ask the Premier if this government would be able to, if offered, take an equity share in the pipeline. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the project of the magnitude of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline continues to be a topic. Now I hear that there is a meeting going on in Ottawa. I would like to direct my questions today to Premier Handley. I would like to ask the Premier if he or the government was aware that this meeting was going on in Ottawa between the proponents and the Government of Canada. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The committee is very appreciative of the role that foster parents play in ensuring that children can grow and prosper in a caring environment. Enough cannot be said about the people that are willing to take children into their homes on a moment’s notice. They are a vital part in the delivery of social services in the Northwest Territories and need to be recognized and supported as such.

Part of Supplementary Appropriation No. 1, 2007-2008 is $1.011 million for increases to the basic maintenance rate and to increase the age of child rate. This will result in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I read an article that said that there is a meeting going on today between the proponents of the pipeline and the Government of Canada. I got to thinking when they mentioned some of the players that were going to be at the meeting, where was the GNWT in this picture, Mr. Speaker? It is happening too much lately that, with all the talk going on with the pipeline, the GNWT continues to be left out of the picture. I read further on in the article that a document was filed with the National Energy Board. They talk about Alberta will be the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommend that the department work towards increasing the number of foster homes in the NWT and that a plan, complete with numbers of existing foster homes, targeted increases and required resources, be presented to the Standing Committee on Social Programs as part of the 2009-2010 business plans. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

They have to stockpile everything and by the time they get to it, the best before date expired 10 months ago.

I don’t see that. Being one of the new Members, I would like to see some numbers. I am sure the people in Ulukhaktok and Sachs Harbour and Paulatuk were pleased to hear my colleague from Range Lake say the cost of living is going to be reduced throughout the Northwest Territories if we build that bridge across the Mackenzie. I am sure they were pleased to hear that. They talk about four weeks where they go without avocados.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that commitment. I look forward to the ride. I would like to ask the Minister, before I asked him, how does the department determine how much highway to dust control? Now I would like to ask the Minister, who decides how much of that highway we can apply dust control to? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Highway No. 8 is always a difficult highway to drive sometimes. There is a lot of dust and a lot of potholes. I would like to ask the Minister of Transportation how the Department of Transportation determines the amount of dust control they are going to apply onto a road in a year if there is a 152-kilometre stretch from Inuvik to Fort McPherson that needs it? How do they determine that? I would like to know if it is cost or safety. Thank you.