During my Member’s statement, I talked about transparency and accountability, particularly related to the Deh Cho Bridge project. My question is directed to the Premier.
I am glad to hear that information related to the cost-of-living analysis is going to be coming our way — hopefully, by the end of this session — and I think that is a great first step, but it’s just a first step. I hear people in the community, residents, whether they support the bridge or whether they are opposed to the bridge, asking questions. They don’t even understand what is going on. And they are looking for the cost-benefit analysis as well.
In addition to getting it to the Regular Members, I would like the Premier to commit to sharing that information and communicating information around the bridge and the process that has been followed to date to the residents of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the information will be coming. It will be before the end of session. Hopefully within the next few days we will be able to get that into the hands of Members.
The other piece of information going out with it…. I am aware that the bridge corporation is planning to do some information sessions. I’m not sure just how they have structured that, but I am aware they are looking to get information out there about the project as well. We can have a discussion about the cost-benefit analysis that we provide to Members and see if we want to distribute that further.
Once again, to the Premier, it’s great that the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation is planning to do some of those information releases, but the government is still on the dime for this to a tune of $160 million. I think we have a responsibility as a government to share some of the information with the public, because they are asking us as well.
So once again, I’d like to get the Premier to commit to developing some sort of communications plan about our role in the bridge and the costs to the residents of the Northwest Territories and Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, we can provide, from our side, the information and get it out there. It would be those communities that are affected by a decision like this — Providence, Yellowknife and some of the other communities. We can share that information.
When we talk about the overall project of $165 million, when you look at the government’s piece of it outside of the O&M cost…. When you look at that additional cost, at the end of 35 years the additional investment would be more in the area of $70 million, and tolls would be paying for the rest.
