Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll touch on a number of items and then I’ll ask Mr. Neudorf to speak to some of the more technical issues.
As we talk about the borrowing limit, we have the soon-to-be resolved issue of the borrowing limit of the federal government to be dealt with. I can say with confidence that the borrowing limit’s going to go up. The issue that has not been determined is how much. That’s an issue that is coming to fruition here in the very near future.
This project was four years and the majority of the work was scheduled for three. We have a northern contractor that is now up and running. We’ve been told clearly that there’s been no other road built in this type of condition and this type of geography or terrain anywhere, one maybe in Russia. Now we have one year under our belt and we know that we have crews on that road that are probably the most experienced northern road builders anywhere because of just that fact, that they’re building in an area that’s challenging and there hasn’t been a road built before and now we’re doing that. We’ve learned that from our initial estimates, before we turned a wheel, the cost that we estimated need to be adjusted. We figured that might have to be adjusted. Now, after a year under our belt, we know that we need to adjust so that we can keep with the contract. Three years of road of magnum building finished by year of putting the finishing gravel on and dealing with the settling, so it’s on target that way. We’re trying to catch up because, yes, the contractor didn’t get as much road built as he thought the first year. As Mr. Aumond pointed out, the deputy minister, as we look at moving this money, the majority of that money that we’re advancing is going to be reimbursed to us by the federal government. On every 10 kilometres we can claim a payment. We know that that money is coming.
The northern workforce, 75 to 80 percent last year and the contractor figures he will be able to hit that target again this year, 75 to 80 percent northern workforce, which to me is a very, very credible, laudable achievement and should be recognized.
The issue of the fisheries, the standard practice for road building has been you build a road, then you go cut in the culverts after you build a road. Well, the learned experience after a year is we had to change that approach to avoid what happened in those six instances where there was some washouts and water issues. We have learned and we have adjusted and we move on. Now we put in the culverts as we go and we’ll avoid those problems in the future.
I also want to point out that this project, the first year, while it didn’t get all the road distance in, the majority of the bridges and culverts were put in in the first year. So we wanted this project to proceed. It’s catching up to the schedule that was agreed to in the contract. So when we say accelerated, it’s trying to make up the time and distance in road construction the first year and we believe we can do it. We have proven northern contractors at both ends of the road that are meeting those targets.
I would ask the deputy minister of Transportation if he would want to fill in any points that I indubitably missed because I’m not a road builder.
Deputy Minister Neudorf.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to add one comment perhaps. That’s about requiring a contractor to be as cost-effective as possible. Our main objective was to ensure that the project is delivered on budget, the $299 million budget. To do that, the contractor came up with this schedule which, as the Minister pointed out, was three years of embankment followed by a year of cleanup and final surface and gravel. In order to meet that budget, he needed to have that schedule. That’s the requirement for the adjustment to the cash flow, which is a different cash flow than what we had originally proposed when DOT had schemed up that project back in March 2013 when the budget was first approved by the Assembly. We are just looking for an adjustment to the cash flow for the project. Thank you.
Thank you, Deputy Minister Neudorf. Committee, I would like to draw your attention to the gallery today. We have with us joining our proceedings this afternoon, Ms. Gloria Ann Campbell from Tulita, who is with the Chief Albert Wright School looking after our Pages today.
---Applause
Good evening. Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, Mr. Dolynny?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Tabled Document 155-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2014-2015, and Tabled Document 154-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 4, 2014-2015, and would like to report progress with one motion adopted and that consideration of Tabled Document 155-17(5) is concluded and that the House concur in those estimates and that an appropriation bill to be based thereon be introduced without delay. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Do I have a seconder to the motion? Mr. Menicoche.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Thursday, October 30, 2014, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act
Bill 27, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014
Bill 29, Human Tissue Donation Act
Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Public Service Act
Bill 32, An Act to Amend the Pharmacy Act
Bill 33, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act, No. 2
Committee Report 7-17(5), Report on the Development of the Economic Opportunities and Mineral Development Strategies
Tabled Document 115-17(5), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2015-2016
Tabled Document 154-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditure), No. 4, 2014-2015
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Thursday, October 30th, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 6:05 p.m.
