Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m going to break from history here, and I’m going to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions on the Deh Cho Bridge, mostly because his department is the one that released the cost-benefit analysis. The discussions on the Deh Cho Bridge have dominated the debate in this House over the last couple of weeks and couple of sessions. These concerns raised seem to be about process rather than the project itself. I sometimes think we’ve forgotten why we’re even considering this project.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation: what direct benefits are there to proceeding with the project and building this bridge at all? Can the Minister please provide some clarity to me and explain what the benefits are?
Mr. Speaker, the direct benefits of the Deh Cho Bridge are undeniable. The economic advantage of this bridge is in lowering transportation costs. The cost of living is going to be reduced, as one organization, which is the Coop, has indicated. It will bring down the cost of goods. The benefits to the community of Fort Providence, the Deh Cho communities and of course, the environment…. The environmental direct benefits are that it will reduce the…. If there were a spill on the Mackenzie, that would be reduced quite considerably, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would help deal with the climate change that we’re facing in the North today.
Mr. Speaker, once again to the Minister of Transportation: based on the cost-benefit analysis that recently came out — which we know is an addendum to the larger one that came out in 2002 and needs to be seen as a whole, which is available on the web site — which compares the costs and the benefits…. When you look at that, why did this government proceed with the bridge?
With the cooperation of the community of Fort Providence…. And of course it’s been our own analysis that the decision to proceed had strong benefits to the government and the people of the Northwest Territories. It was a decision that was made and that the 16th Assembly wants to continue, because we see that the benefits of proceeding with this bridge far outweigh the costs in terms of putting the bridge in. This is a good benefit for the people of the Northwest Territories. We’re going to get a good deal after 35 years on this project.
There’s been some suggestion that this is not really a P3 project, in that the G.N.W.T. is doing all the work and taking all the risks. What has the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation done to warrant their involvement?
Mr. Speaker, the community of Fort Providence combined alliance prepared the initial proposal to build the Deh Cho Bridge. The Deh Cho Bridge Corporation put together a professional team to develop this project. They delivered this project in terms of meeting some of the navigable waters requirements by Transport Canada. There’s been consultation and meetings in the communities. There’s been the impact review process and the environmental impacts. It also examined the culture and social impacts of this bridge.
The Deh Cho Bridge Corporation lined up the financial backers of this project, and the corporation is working very closely with the department in terms of putting this project into reality, to have this bridge be a go for the community.
Final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.
What about the risks to the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation compared to those of the G.N.W.T.? Isn’t the G.N.W.T. really guaranteeing this project?
The G.N.W.T. is providing certainty to the lenders. This means that we stand behind the Deh Cho Bridge in terms of ensuring that this bridge is built. The Deh Cho Bridge Corporation’s rate of return is based on delivering the project as designed, on schedule and on budget.
