Robert C. McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding is that they have identified a lot of issues with the existing structure, and it represents a risk to health and safety, but I think the Member's question is why the replacement is costing $304,000. I am not quite sure. My understanding is that they are going to do a design contract to be awarded in the spring of 2018 with construction in the fall of 2018. I am not sure exactly what the specs are for the new shelter. I would have to follow up with the Department of Infrastructure and see. I take the Member's point, though. You are looking at...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member is correct. These are carry-overs. Again, as far as the detail goes, something that I think we have learned today is that some of the information that the Members are looking for, I don't have the level of detail provided to me. What I will do is I will have a conversation with all of the departments and ask them to provide me with a little bit more detail to some of the questions that Members are asking so that I am in a better position to defend their asks for the appropriations. I apologize for that, and I think we have also ironed out the process...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we don't believe that it is affecting the work at all or that there is a problem with the cash flow. The biggest project we have in the works, Stanton, is still going on. Like I said, the money has been appropriated and approved by this Assembly in last fall's capital budget. That project is still on time.

We have some challenges in trying to roll as many of these projects out the door as we can, but the departments have been working hard and trying to ensure that we get these contracts let. We have different reasons for why some of these contracts are, and I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I think I am going to take the Members point, and I think you can look at the Tuktoyaktuk highway as a prime example of the money that stays in the territories, and I think we've all seen the number of folks who work there, so that is one of the benefits of that project. Income support numbers, I know, went down. Housing rent collections actually went up, so there is benefit. I take the Member's point; we take that very seriously. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I take the Member's point about working with the communities. I think this project may have run into a couple of little bumps on the road. I take the Member's point about working with not only his community, but all the other communities that are getting some of these projects and tap into the knowledge that they have in the area. I will make that commitment, something we will do going forward.

My understanding is the project is in the final stage, because you can see the carry-over is $22,000. The project is in the final stage and will be completed by June 30...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member is correct. The short construction season, we understand, and my understanding is that there is trouble finding contractors sometimes to go into some of these places. That would be a couple of the reasons for the amount of carry-overs: short construction season and the issue with finding contractors. If there are contractors listening out there, there is an opportunity, because there is fairly significant carry-over. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Again, through you, Mr. Chair, I would like to go to the Minister of Justice.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the Member's attempt at giving some credit to the department. It was going along really well until I heard the "but." I take the Member's point, though. I mean, he is right. We did have a briefing this morning. We provided Members with a lot of information on the numbers that we had, and some of the questions were on the detail of why those numbers came to be. I absolutely take the Member's point. I will work with the departments to ensure that, as we go forward or we debate another capital estimate, that we have the level of detail that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I believe they do keep track of the work, and I think it's part of the contract, and things may have changed, but you normally have to put your northern content in there. So all we need to do is have a conversation with Infrastructure as to what percentage was done by Northerners, and obviously we would like to see the bulk of this work done by northern companies, and I think for the most part, now maybe in the southern part of the territories there's a bit more challenge because they're a little easier accessible for the southern companies to move in, but we...