Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] When I did the Member's statement, the one on behalf of the words of the elders, the words of the elderly ladies were talking about while they were standing, just like them standing here, asking the government. Because we are asking questions on behalf of the elders, the Minister of Infrastructure, I have a question for you. [Translation ends] The Minister of Infrastructure talked about engineering in her statement earlier. I would like to ask questions about this, the sorry inconsideration her and her department has for hundreds of people driving back and forth between Yellowknife and Behchoko on a daily basis. You would think, with their great feats of engineering, that they might give minor passing thought to the biological needs of people driving those roads. I am talking about simple places to relieve themselves. Mr. Speaker, the first question I have for the Minister is: why don't we have on Highway No. 3 and beyond to all our communities restrooms along the three side turnouts between Behchoko and Yellowknife? Mr. Speaker, Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The outhouses between Yellowknife and Behchoko were brought up in the House either this week or last week. The Department of Infrastructure and Department of ITI are both working in partnership in ensuring that we have adequate facilities along the way, including pullouts, because we continue to improve, promote, and deliver safety through investments in infrastructure because highway safety is our utmost priority. I do want to let the Member know that the Department of ITI and Infrastructure will be looking at developing a management plan in order to have a look at some of the highways, not only on Highway No. 3, but all along all the other highways in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, we have 10 highways in the Northwest Territories, and we need to ensure that there is some safety out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I did not hear much of an answer there. Highway safety, as the Minister indicated, we need to put that into actions; less talk, less study. We have experienced a tragic accident on the highway numerous occasions, and here we are still deliberating in the House about restrooms along the highway. There is urgent need. Mr. Speaker, I don't know how else I can relay that message, the importance of having those restrooms along the highway. Just putting into action on the general standards for providing public toilets or restrooms on the well-used highways like Highway No. 3, has her department, the Minister of Infrastructure, thought of devolving a position on this particular question that I have in this House?
No, we have not looked at developing a specific position for this outhouse and that, but we did talk about looking at another, perhaps, highway safety and look at perhaps bringing it to appropriations for some extra funding for finance. I hope I have answered the Member's question in terms of looking at working with ITI and to be able to come up with a management plan. I think that is the key here, is we need to have a look at it, address the safety issues, and come up with a plan.
[Translation] Yes, there are questions I have. I am talking about the elderly ladies, the elderly ladies. I am talking on behalf of what I was told. The Minister, we have to respect. Though we always say, "Let's work with one another; let's work with one another," that is not what I am hearing. These words of the elders are very important. [Translation ends] This is not an outhouse we are talking about. We are talking about restrooms along the highway. Will the Minister commit to coming back to this House with plans and funding for the construction of at least a minimum of one or two public washrooms or restrooms along highways between Yellowknife and Behchoko? I don't mean a long line of promises, study. We are tired of studying. It's a very simple problem that -- to death. A promise to put a 20-year plan in place, this is part of the commitment that needs to be made in this House. I need to bring the message back to the elder who particularly asked me, and I'm not getting any answers today. Can there be a plan in place that can be brought back to this House?
This is not a simple answer. We have to work with a variety of departments within the GNWT to look at it. There is some work that is involved; pullouts between Yellowknife and Behchoko, there are a number of things we need to look at. We need to see if there is space and provide technical support to ITI's efforts to fund and build outhouses, should ITI decide to do so. I'm not saying that we would commit to it because I can't. I need to work with the Department of Infrastructure to be able to look at some of the technical requirements to putting an outhouse there and whether the department is going to be able to find some funding and work together with this.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. It has been well over a month since we had a public forum in Behchoko, and part of the discussion we had was with the Minister's senior staff, as well. They agreed that we need to formulate partnerships to deal with these particular issues. It has been over a month, and we are still talking about, potentially, we can work on this. I would like to see an action plan in place during the life of this Assembly. Could that be established between the partners? Of course, working along with the Tlicho government because they are the ones who initiated the discussion. Could that be established within the life of this Assembly? Masi, Mr. Speaker.
From my understanding, the meeting in Behchoko that involved a lot of the key stakeholders was mostly around cell service. We had the Departments of Infrastructure and ITI, as well as some of the leaders, to be able to look at the safety of the cell service along the highway, and it was something that the working group was going to look at. This outhouse is a whole new subject that we need to perhaps add to that discussion, because it is something that we need to look at, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
