Deh Cho

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 35)

Mr. Speaker, the consideration for providing a toll for all people that travel across the bridge is not something that we have looked at as an option. It would have to be a decision of this House. Right now the consideration for recovery on the extra $15 million would be through the revenue that’s raised from tolling the commercial vehicles. We have not had any discussion with any of my Cabinet colleagues or anyone else, for that matter, and that’s something we’ve considered. We’ve tried very hard to keep the commercial toll from increasing and we certainly did not want to burden the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 35)

We don’t have any projects that we charge back government services. The people that are working on these projects are hired to do those jobs and, no, they’re not included in the toll recovery. The $15 million does not include the two positions or the position and a half and things of that nature that are right now part of regular duties. So I guess the short answer to the Member is no, it’s not included in the $15 million. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 35)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The costs that were incurred by our government that were not directly charged back to the project I’m assuming is what the Member is referring to. Those are one full-time position and another part-time position and, of course, there are other people within our government that have worked on this project. Those costs are not included, as the Member stated, as part of this budget. Those costs are outside of the project costs. These are all calculations that would be charged back to the project and we don’t charge back our staff positions to the project at this point. So...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 35)

Thank you. We have tried very hard to look at all the different opportunities or any other costs to enter the project and we feel that we’ve covered all the avenues. Of course, I can’t absolutely guarantee that. We’ve also assumed full management of the project. We have a new team, we have a new contractor. Along with that, we plan to have better communications with the public as part of the responsibilities for project management. We want to have regular updates to all the MLAs and the public with the sites that they could look at, informing themselves, including establishing a website and...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 35)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know the Member is quite familiar with the agreement that was signed with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, and in the Bridge Concession Agreement there is a clause that requires the Government of the Northwest Territories to assume the costs if they go over their budget amount. However, the money would then be recovered from the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation from its return, and in the event that the government does assume all of the project and is not a partner anymore, it does allow for the government to recoup its costs through the self-liquidating clause...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 33)

Mr. Speaker, we can certainly commit to having our own Public Works staff to notify the different levels of local government in the community. Any public notification and how the salvation program itself would be operated I’m assuming would come from the contractor that has the contract and would determine what the safest way to distribute materials and salvage and dismantle this building would take place. So we can provide notice to the Member as we notify the community governments. The rest would have to be up to the responsibility of the contractor. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 33)

Once again, yes, we want to have a program in place that will allow the community to have some benefit from the materials that are available through salvage and recycling. We certainly need to ensure that there is a safety component incorporated in this process. Direct access is probably not something we want to see. We’ll have a controlled area where salvage material will be dropped off so that people can come and pick through it or take what they’d like. The scope of work is already being determined. We’ll have all the different components required prior to going out to tender this summer...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 33)

Mr. Speaker, this is a management tool, as I indicated before, and each department has their responsibilities that lie within the contracting policies, and they have all read the terms and are all up to date on the practices of this government. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 33)

Mr. Speaker, of course, Public Works is responsible for the contracts awarded within the ranks of Public Works, and sole sourcing is one method that we use, it’s a management tool. There are criteria that sets out when it can be utilized and that’s what we follow. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 4th Session (day 33)

Mr. Chairman, what we are doing here is we are transferring some dollars out of the Public Works Deferred Maintenance Program that we had identified to do some work on the air terminal building and it will now go into the Department of Transportation and will be matched up with stimulus dollars that we have been approved for. So it is a 50-50 cost arrangement and since we had money already in our budget to do the work prior to knowing that this was a project that was being considered for replacement, we are transferring it over. Thank you.