Wally Schumann

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we can make sure we have someone from petroleum products to explain it to committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, we have done some preliminary investigation regarding the potential alternate landing site that the Member is talking about. It could extend the ferry service up to a month, depending on the weather and the water levels. There are some challenges still with this option. I think we have talked about this in the House before.

The ferry crossing would be 11 kilometres along the Mackenzie Valley River and take an hour-and-a-half compared to the seven-minute crossing at the present site, where it's located right now, on the Liard River.

Of course, with that, if we are going to do 11-kilometre...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will make it very quick. First of all, on the Norman Wells, comment, I am sticking by that comment. That was a fuel delivery to a customer in Norman Wells. It wasn't our fuel; it was a different customer's fuel. It was from the same supplier that caused the issue in Hay River. I couldn't tell you the exact number of litres of fuel, but it was a significant amount that we had to transport back for that.

As for what it is going to cost other programs and services, it is not going to. I have already told this House, the revolving fund for petroleum is going to eat the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I have to lay it out maybe a little simpler. We are giving the rebate back for what we are charging people to haul their vehicles in this year, and we are delivering them next year for free. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm having trouble with my microphone here, too, or my hearing piece.

First of all, I want to make a couple of comments on this, I guess, because I have stated in the House that Hay River is the primary logistical point for our operation. It does have the Synchro Lift there for lifting and maintaining and being able to operate our repairs on our vessels and our barges, which is very significant to this whole operation.

Hay River is a key point and it has the most northern rail link in Canada. That is where all the fuel comes from.

One of the things, I think, that has come...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we come in front of committee next week, we are going to bring you the most up to date balance sheet that we have because that changes all the time with liabilities and invoicing and stuff. The other thing we have got to make quite clear here is: we are forecasting that we are going to break even this year, even with all the liabilities of flying all the freight in. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

No, this is very high-level consultation. They are out there doing this right now. The Member will probably have an opportunity to actually go to that and participate in that. I want to advise this House that ITI, like the MLA, we will be invited to make our comments on this, on this consultation. We are very concerned as well about the liability and the responsibility. That is one of our big concerns around this whole thing. As well, we want to see more certainty and transparency built into this thing. We will be commenting on it, as well.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the question is, "Have I ever driven the road?" Of course, I've driven that road. I live in Hay River. I've been over there probably every month. I see the condition of the road. This Member has asked me questions about the road conditions there before. I've stated in this House the work that has commenced on there around drainage and these types of things and some geotechnical work. That work has been completed. That will feed into what our next plans are to do with that section of highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That's a discussion maybe I'm going to have to sit down and have with the chair of standing committee, because this is something that I haven't found to be an issue. It's a public offering. We have the list. A number of these people are quite capable and, you know, there are some specific things, specific asks, I believe, in that request of stuff. There are certain entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories who aren't quite capable of doing these specific things. It's a tool that the Government of Northwest Territories has to be able to address some of those situations we have here. Thank you...

In fact, we were planning and providing the Members an update on this later in the session, but I'm happy to share some information right now with Members. The reason the Member hasn't heard about the economic opportunities strategy is because most of the recommendations that were made in that document become part of our mandate, and we've talked about the work as this mandate commitments. In fact, the strategy's 117 recommendations now have been addressed, and more than 70 per cent have resulted in ongoing improvements and initiatives by our government. We have begun to work investment and...