Michael Miltenberger

This is a demand-driven service. Given all the factors that affect the health of Northerners, the age, the lifestyle issues, genetic issues, environmental issues, we anticipate that, yes, there will be an ongoing demand. The blood services part of Health and Social Services is one that has seen constant growth. Thank you.

Yes, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Member taking the time to summarize her thoughts on this particular matter, and I appreciate her final determination to support the project. Thank you.

Thank you. We make long-term investments in the territory, that’s what we do as a government. Seventeen Assemblies have been working, Assembly after Assembly, to put infrastructure in the ground, on the ground that improves the quality of life that helps build the territory that we all agreed is part of our vision. Part of that critical infrastructure is roads. A road, the northernmost section of the Mackenzie Highway has been a critical part of the northern dream for longer than I can remember. So if the Member is asking if we look around the North for every dollar we spend, where do we get...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The information, albeit confidential, provided back in December. It was requested today when we met with committee, that the request was for a plain language summary, which we worked hard to get on the table into committee and which we will table tomorrow. There has been, well, it’s not going to benefit the general public because the discussion will help edify them, but it won’t be part of the prior discussion to today’s vote on this supp. It does provide and has provided the Members with all the information we had available on an ongoing basis as it developed, and as...

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 4, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2013-2014, be read for the second time.

This bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make appropriations for operations expenditures for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member, at one point, asked as well about the economic benefit of the road. The $2 million a year maintenance budget could be seen as it will employ local people and local contractors, so that will be one of the ongoing benefits.

In regard to how do we mitigate the impact of going over these areas where there are remnants of glacial ice and ice lenses, I’ll ask Mr. Neudorf to respond.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is truly a hypothetical question. The fact of what we know is we have $299 million: $200 million just confirmed from the federal government and $99 million out of our own pockets. We have some costs already of $12 million.

We’ve given every commitment we can possibly give at this juncture about managing the project. We have a contingency fund. We’re going to do all the work up front to be ready for construction this coming fall. So it’s on that basis that we’re proceeding. Otherwise, if we took the approach suggested by the Member, we could potentially paralyze...

Thank you. What the process will be is the political commitment has been made for the $200 million. Mr. Neudorf and his officials will be working with his counterparts in the federal government to work out the details and the funding agreement that will allow that money to flow, and we anticipate in the next two months that would be concluded and the money would start to flow into the project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents, entitled Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2012-2013, and Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2013-2014. Thank you.