During our last session in November I asked a number of questions pertaining to the Deh Cho Bridge project and how it was that the Government of the Northwest Territories signed off on a concession agreement three days prior to the last Territorial election.
Mr. Speaker, just today, Members received a letter from the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation in response to questions that have been asked about the project. I’d like to thank them very much for their letter and, once again, state for the record that I’m not opposed to a bridge being built across the Mackenzie River. I respect and admire the conviction and the courage shown by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and the people in Fort Providence to get the project to where it is today.
Mr. Speaker, my concern is about the process, the government’s involvement, and the lack of accountability and transparency in that process. During the life of the last government I sat through numerous briefings on the Deh Cho Bridge and was told many different things by the former government and Premier that today just are not factual. Someone has to be held accountable to the residents here in the Northwest Territories on the level of misinformation that was provided.
First off, the last government consistently told Members that the project was not proceeding without substantial federal dollars. The loan guarantee was increased many times while we waited for the feds to come up with the infrastructure dollars. And then came the day that the former Premier told Members that the project was proceeding, even though it was now $160 million and without any investment from Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker, we needed to come up with an additional $2 million per year for the project, indexed for the next 35 years. The 15th Assembly never approved the additional spending, nor were we given an opportunity to debate and vote on the money required for the project. That has always been my fundamental issue with the process.
In regard to the equity of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, I do remember the former government selling the Members of the former Assembly on the merit of the project, as it would put a guaranteed rate of return revenue back into the community of Fort Providence.
Today this is just not a reality. The Government of the Northwest Territories signed a concession agreement with a corporation it knew was not fulfilling one of its primary objectives. Again, a process issue for the G.N.W.T.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted.
Mr. Speaker, that brings me to the question of where the information is on the project. The updated detailed cost-benefit analysis continues to be as hard to find as accountability and transparency in the process. Also, the concession agreement continues to be elusive. We need to ensure the public has confidence in us to make decisions in the best interests of the Territory.
No one Premier or cabinet should ever be able to commit the G.N.W.T. to this type of expenditure without the approval of the Members of this Legislative Assembly. Mahsi.
During my campaign and in follow-up discussions with Members of this 16th Legislative Assembly, it’s clear that residents of the Northwest Territories expect a transparent and accountable government — no, actually, they demand an open, transparent and accountable government.
During this Assembly’s strategic planning session, it was further reinforced by the Members that accountability and transparency should be a priority for all of us, as well as the public service as a whole.
Unfortunately, the government doesn’t seem to be doing a good job of living up to this expectation. The lack of information and continual surprises arising out of the construction of the Deh Cho Bridge is a primary example of how government is not living up to the ideals of an open, transparent and accountable government.
Members of this Assembly, as well as of the previous Assembly, have continually asked the government to come forward with information that will help Northerners understand the benefits of the bridge and the impact it will have on all residents. They have also asked for clarity and transparency on the process that has moved the development of this bridge forward. Yet answers are often vague, often muddy and sometimes of no real substance. Further new wrinkles and surprises seem to come up on a fairly regular basis, often at the last minute. This is unreasonable.
If we as MLAs can’t get the information, how can the government expect the people of the N.W.T. to have confidence in the G.N.W.T. and believe that we are open, accountable and transparent on any issue, including but not limited to things like the $135 million in budget reductions currently being faced by the G.N.W.T.
As a Member of this Assembly and a long-term resident of Yellowknife and the N.W.T., I look forward to the day I can actually drive my fuel-efficient automobile across the bridge. As an MLA I would like to be proud of the Deh Cho Bridge, one of the largest infrastructure projects we have ever had. But without transparency and a reasonable distribution of information and facts from the government, it’s going to be hard to be proud of it when I do drive across it.
Later this afternoon I will be asking the Premier some questions concerning the Deh Cho Bridge, and specifically about the lack of public information, transparency and accountability related to the project. The residents of N.W.T. deserve to know how we got here and what the true impact of the bridge will be. For better or for worse, honesty and transparency are important.
