Wally Schumann

As I’ve said, the Public Works put out the tender; there’s a BIP process that’s applied to all tenders of these bids. If the southern contractor states that they’re going to have 60 per cent that the Member has alluded to in part of their bidding contract that has nothing to do with the BIP process of this contract. We can follow up with the Member and have a discussion on the number that he’s talking about, but Public Works and Services applies the numbers to the tender process.

What I can do is I will commit to the Member that I can pull together that information on how we came up to that number and supply that to the Member.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment in its mandate to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure by working to secure funding to advance the Tlicho allseason road. Mr. Speaker, according to the Tlicho chief, Alfonz Nitsiza of Whati, the project will provide culture strength to the Tlicho people aside from economic benefits. This project is not only a source of future prosperity but is also a source of pride for the region. The road has been discussed by the Tlicho government as far back as 1980s, and their support is evident...

As I said, we have a committee that will be reviewing the process and see if it’s working effectively to keep electronics out of our dumps in the Northwest Territories. Upon that review, we can have those discussions and if the Member would like, he can have input probably in that discussion as well with the committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We rolled this program out earlier this year and to date; we haven’t had any issues with the recycling program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The procurement process allows for the BIP that’s supplied on to contracts in the Northwest Territories, and that is supplied through the Public Works and Services when it’s put out to tender and that’s how the bids are adjusted accordingly. Southern bidders do not qualify for northern content or the BIP process and the northern people do.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, second by the honourable Member from Thebacha, that Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act, be read for the second time. This bill amends the Revolving Funds Act to establish a revolving fund for the purpose of meeting the capital, operating and maintenance requirements for the Yellowknife Airport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Member has invited us for a constituency tour and I believe that’s an opportunity when we’re up there in August that we should maybe take a chance to drive the Dempster and have a look at some of the concerns the Member has on the Dempster.

It’s ironic that through forced growth $3 million has recently been allowed for significant chip seal repair. For this coming season we are looking at chipsealing 80 kilometres of this section of highway between here and Behchoko, and I think it’s something the department is having a serious look at. There’s a couple of other options, but this particular year we’re moving forward with chipsealing on a certain section of highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As many of us know that drive this highway, the department has some serious challenges with this section of highway between here and Behchoko. Over the number of years, the department has been working on and developing a program, that is under way, of monitoring four test sections of this highway to determine the best options, how we are going to deal with them moving down the road. There are some major challenges with this section of highway, but the degradation of permafrost and such… We need to make sure that the future money that is spent on this section of the highway, we will fix the...