Debates of May 10, 2007 (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement and ask some questions to the Minister of Transportation. It gets, again, back to the Deh Cho Bridge project. Mr. Speaker, five years ago -- and some of my colleagues here have been talking about that -- five years ago when this project was first publicly vetted through the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation Act, I, as a city councillor, attended committee meetings where the NWT Trucking Association was here; local business groups were in attendance. Mr. Speaker, back then, that Deh Cho Bridge project was estimated to be between 70 and 75 million dollars; tolls on the bridge were $4 to $5, in that range. Mr. Speaker, things have changed tremendously since five years ago. This project is upwards of $130 million; tolls, we don’t know what they’re going to be, in excess of $6. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation when will the public and the Regular Members of this House get an opportunity to publicly vet the details of the Deh Cho Bridge proposal? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, the Deh Cho Bridge has been on the books not only of this Legislature, but on the minds of our Northerners for many, many years. I think it’s about 50 years, even, Mr. Speaker. However, I’m proud to be the Minister that is looking after this now and it’s something that our government has really considered a priority and we’d like to move forward with it. The Member is asking for more involvement. Certainly, we’ve briefed committee before and I can commit to brief committee for further details soon, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we did receive a briefing about a month ago. However, Mr. Speaker, we don’t know what the total cost of the project is going to be; we don’t know what the tolls are going to be; the public hasn’t been involved at all. I believe we, as a government, at the very least we should go back to the stakeholders in the North Slave region where costs of goods are going to increase if the tolls on those trucks crossing that bridge are going to be in excess of $6. I’d like to know what the impact is going to be on residents in my constituency and the rest of the residents here in Yellowknife in the North Slave region. Has the Minister got that level of detail on what the increased costs will be to residents here in the North Slave? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Some of the discussions that are ongoing with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation are exactly that, are doing the financing modelling and certainly the toll is between $4 and $6 per ton. Just as an example, Mr. Speaker, $6 per ton, that’s like $250 per truckload and that’s the figure that’s currently being used in our financial modelling right now, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would hazard to guess that tolls will be in excess of $6. I mean it doesn’t take a mathematician to figure that out. With the project in excess of $130 million, the tolls are obviously going to have to be over $6. It was obvious from yesterday’s discussion that the government isn’t going to wait for the federal government to come in with capital dollars to put into this project. It is obvious. I would like to ask the Minister of Transportation, has the government drawn a line in the sand where it can say too much is too much? Be that either on tolls or on construction costs, on costs to the government over the 35 year period. Is there a line that has been drawn? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am not too sure what the Member implies by drawing a line in the sand. If there is a line to be drawn, Mr. Speaker, we cannot wait any further for a project of this significance. However the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation is doing their negotiating on this. Our government is really involved as a P3 project. Previously, DIAND has committed up to $3 million in equity to get the project off the ground. They continue to stand by that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I am hearing the Minister say today is it doesn’t matter what the project costs. If it costs 150 or 160 million, it doesn’t matter what the toll will end up being at the end of the day; $6, $7, or $8, that doesn’t matter. What matters the most to the government is that the bridge gets built. I think that is foolhardy, Mr. Speaker. I think the government has to come up with the real numbers and provide the House with the details on this project. No agreement should be signed off until Members of this House have a chance to look at it and question what the tolls are going to be and what the cost to the government is going to be over 35 years. Without doing that, we are failing the residents here, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, when can we get a briefing with the Minister and perhaps the Premier on this project? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 46-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The tolls are laid out in the Deh Cho Bridge Act. It is $6 right now plus inflationary factors as the years go on. As well, I can commit to having a briefing with the committee any time soon. But as for divulging the information to the public right now, Mr. Speaker, where sensitive negotiations are ongoing, that is something that is just not doable at this time. I can reassure that the real winners of this project are the North and northerners, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause