Michael McLeod

The strategy that we have used to determine which roads need attention has been developed by our engineers. We certainly can ask them if they want to relocate some investment. However, that would be asking us to move away from areas that we think have issues with safety and vision and they may have some difficulty doing that without increased funding in this area. We would have to be relocating dollars that are targeted for specific areas. We can certainly discuss that and see what possibilities there are, but I would say it’s unlikely.

I have no control on what the Member is going to label his road...

---Laughter

The reality is, Mr. Speaker, this road is going to require probably a complete reconstruction. We’ve been really focused on trying to develop a plan that will do that. However, the challenge is that there has been excessive rainfall in that area. It has contributed to eroding, it has contributed to culvert failures, flooding, things of that nature and it has forced us to redirect our efforts from reconstruction on a portion of the road that has been targeted, to trying to deal with some of the crisis situations that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A visitor here today has been recognized as the Speaker, former MLA and grand chief. I also want to recognize Sam Gargan as a constituent from my riding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my position on the Department of Transportation’s project, and that includes the Deh Cho Bridge, is one of transparency. We’ve taken all avenues to provide information to the Members of this House. We continue to look for ways to communicate with the general public. We plan to incorporate a newsletter into our communications on the bridge, we’re also working towards developing a website that will have all information around this project, and we want to have an on-site camera where people can patch into the site and be able to view construction as it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the mover and seconder for putting this motion on the floor. I think it’s an important issue that has plagued a lot of our residents of our different communities. I come from Fort Providence where we had a residential school for many years and there are still a lot of issues surrounding the facility and many people have returned there seeking closure to issues. I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of programs such as these that are spoken about in the motion, and I’ve seen how it affects people and how people are in real need of a methodology to deal...

Mr. Speaker, if the Members or our staff were not aware of this policy, we certainly would not be able to enforce it. Our supervisors and each department are responsible for providing that information and they’re also responsible for providing discipline in this area. That is public information that the Member’s referring to. It’s on the website, I believe. It’s a policy that is government-wide and it’s public. Thank you.

I was at the NWT Association of Communities meeting. I didn’t vote on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I think we have compiled quite a bit of information. It’s fairly comprehensive. We want to have the ability to have that discussion with the EDI committee and we’re hoping we’ll have some time. In fact, maybe even during this session we’d be able to do that or in the next little while. If we’re going to do anything major, we’d need to have it at least into the House for discussion by next sitting. That’s something that we have been looking at. However, before I make that decision, before I make that...

Mr. Speaker, most of the communities have been contacted. Most of the communities are aware of the work in the immediate proximity. We expect a list of information will be out to the communities before I do my tour of the Member’s riding, which is going to be in a couple of weeks. I am sure there will be more issues being brought up and a lot more investment that is going to be pointed to as they feel required. That information we intend to get out to the people of Nahendeh and will also show that information as we go to the communities as well.

Mr. Speaker, once again I have to say that I can reassure the Member that our goal is to do all the work. We have $4 million for Highway No. 7. We have, I think, 64 kilometres to chipseal on Highway No. 1 that leads towards the Member’s riding. We have a new airport to relocate in Trout Lake. We have a road in Jean Marie River and we also have a commitment to do more work on the Nahanni Butte access road. There is a lot of work that has been committed to. We have a plan for this year. Weather permitting, we will get it all done and contracts are out. We are focused on getting it completed...

Mr. Speaker, it is going to cost us a lot less than what it would cost us to stay in the concession agreement. Thank you.