Michael McLeod

We have been talking with the Yellowknives Dene since 2007 and I’ve indicated to the Member that the schedule is for the construction to start in 2011 and open to traffic in 2012, with the final surface completion in 2013.

I don’t believe there’s a snag in the process. This is part of due course. We are working towards reducing the options to one that will be accepted by all parties. There is, right now, a variance of opinion, of course, on the three routes. The Member has stated his arguments for his preference, however, the responses that we’re getting are fairly even. We’re getting about 30 percent on every option in front of us. There are more meetings that need to be conducted and we need to start doing the engineering and work on the route that’s going to be selected and start construction in due course...

Mr. Speaker, the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories, or LGANT, held their 2010 LGANT AGM and Professional Development Conference last week here in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, the mission of LGANT is to strive for and promote excellence and professionalism in the field of local government administration through education and career development programs and to create awareness of a community officer’s role in the community.

Through their Words for Excellence Program, Susan Christie, the SAO of the Hamlet of Fort Providence, has been awarded the Outstanding Local Government...

Mr. Speaker, I’m saying that once we’re comfortable that all the companies and all the communities will have the same abilities through this program, we will provide further consideration.

I apologize if it was confusing to the Member. I’ll try to speak a little slower.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve already stated that we have not, as a government, endorsed the COR program to be part of our contracting. The NWT Construction Association is going to consult with the industry and they will talk to their members. We are not moving forward and incorporating it in our contracts. Thank you.

I think it would be pretty evident that as soon as the deficiencies are dealt with and we’re comfortable that all is well, we usually do our best to get the holdback released. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it’s my pleasure to rise today to give Members an update on the Drive Alive travel safety program.

Drive Alive is a partnership-based initiative that promotes safety on the roads, trails and waterways of the Northwest Territories. By promoting action that will reduce the number of collisions, serious injuries and fatalities in the Northwest Territories, we are helping to deliver on the government’s commitment to building our future as well as this Assembly’s priority to build sustainable, vibrant and safer communities.

Over the next few weeks we will be unveiling initiatives under...

Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an exact date. The report, as I indicated the last time the Member asked questions, is under review and we’re doing reconciliation. As soon as that’s done and concluded, we can provide it to the Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The answer is yes. The steel has started to arrive in Hay River and some of the steel has been delivered to the community of Fort Providence. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of questions there. The question on the Auditor General’s report is something that we have been working on with the Auditor General. We provided material over the last while to the Auditor General. The indications are that the report will come out this spring. Thank you.