Debates of February 21, 2008 (day 12)

Date
February
21
2008
Session
16th Assembly, 2nd Session
Day
12
Speaker
Members Present
Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Bromley, Hon. Paul Delorey, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Krutko, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Sandy Lee, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Michael McLeod, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Ramsay, Hon. Floyd Roland, Hon. Norman Yakeleya.
Topics
Statements

MEMBER’S STATEMENT ONMEMBER’S STATEMENT ON deh cho bridge project

This is the last day of the sitting of this particular Legislature, and true to form, I want to talk about the Deh Cho Bridge.

Mr. Speaker, I want to summarize once again for people what has been provided to us in terms of information and responses to our very good and valid questions. We don’t ask these questions for fun; we ask these questions because we are the conduit for the public to become aware of the government. If we’re not going to have this debate on the floor of the House, well then, to me, really, you might just have appointed an administrator to take over running the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, in the last government two motions were brought forward by the Regular Members and cast in this House. I’d like to read them into the record again:

“Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the G.N.W.T. undertake and disclose updated economic modelling showing that the Deh Cho Bridge project anticipated so few economic impacts and benefits as it did in 2003, and further, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends the G.N.W.T. defer signing any further agreement concerning the Deh Cho Bridge until after the 16th Assembly is in office.”

That was one motion that was passed in this House, Mr. Speaker, and here’s the gist and the tail end of another one:

“Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommend that government not enter into a binding agreement committing it to the Deh Cho Bridge project until it has provided Regular Members with an up-to-date analysis of the expected cost of living impacts of the bridge on Yellowknife, and the Tlicho communities and the Behchoko communities, the estimated social impacts and economic benefits for the community of Fort Providence, and the exact total cost of the Deh Cho Bridge to the Government of the Northwest Territories, and giving Regular Members an opportunity to comment on the bridge should it proceed based on that information.”

For anyone to say that the Members of the previous government and this government were not interested in the details of this bridge project is absolutely not correct.

One of the first things that we questioned the government about after getting re-elected to this House — I can speak for myself — was where we were at in terms of commitments to the Deh Cho Bridge. Again, we were not informed that the concession agreement had been signed. Then, on further questioning as to our government’s liability, we were told our liability extent was the $9 million for the loan guarantee. In fact, this government is on the hook for the $165 million that it is going to cost us to undertake this project and probably untold other expenses that will be seen as eligible costs over run.