Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Today I’d like to talk about replacing heavy equipment in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e. It has been brought to my attention that heavy equipment in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e are being replaced much earlier than they should be due to improper maintenance. This causes communities to use their budgets to replace expensive pieces of equipment well before the equipment should be replaced.
Under the ideal situation — I’m no expert — I believe that heavy equipment should last roughly 20 years. However, due to a lack of maintenance some of these assets are being replaced well before their time. Ideally, equipment should be retrofitted once at midlife and replaced when they should be.
Mr. Speaker, this is an expensive burden on communities and the government when some equipment costs in the range of $250,000. Part of the problem is unlimited O&M budgets to maintain heavy equipment. For example, to hire qualified mechanics and have them perform regular, scheduled maintenance is a challenge for smaller communities like Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e. Many times the community must hire mechanics from outside the community. In the case of Lutselk’e they also have to cover the cost of travel, accommodation and freight. This quickly depletes the maintenance budget, so the communities find themselves in a catch-22.
With inadequate maintenance budgets heavy equipment is not properly maintained, resulting in replacement much sooner than necessary, and this contributes to budgetary issues. With adequate maintenance budgets, Mr. Speaker, communities can maintain their heavy equipment assets properly, resulting in a longer operating life and safer pieces of equipment. In the long run we’ll effectively save substantial dollars for both the communities and the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, the department needs to do more to assist these communities so they’re able to properly maintain heavy equipment, and the communities can use their valuable budgets on other, more important items as opposed to replacing equipment well before its time.
Later on today I’ll have questions for the appropriate Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
