Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Minister of Transportation. I listened, with interest, as he gave us an update today on the Deh Cho Bridge. I have to admit there was a bit of a smile on my face when he indicated he’s spoken about this issue many times before, not necessarily from the chair that he’s in at the moment. Towards the middle of his statement the Minister mentioned that it’s now estimated we will require additional funding to complete construction. Again I had to say to myself, I went, yeah, that’s not much of a big surprise. He goes on to cite some of the things that are going to require additional funding, and I just wondered if the Minister could give us a bit more of an explanation of what kind of additional funding are we talking about. Is it a minimal amount like $5 million or $10 million, or are we talking a larger amount like $50 million or $100 million?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member would be privy to that information as it’s coming up later on in today’s proceedings.
I thank the Minister for his elaborate comment. I’d like to also ask the Minister, later on in his statement he talked about undertaking a retrospective analysis of the project after it’s completed. I know we’re aiming for completion somewhere around November 2012 but that retrospective analysis presumably is in the works to a certain extent at this point, looking at the staff time that’s required and so on. I’d like to ask the Minister when he thinks that we might be able to get a full retrospective analysis of this total bridge project. Thank you.
I would suspect that the bridge will be complete next fall, in the fall of 2012. The Member is right; a lot of that work has been cumulatively done as the project proceeds. Wrapping that up and doing a thorough analysis on the project itself I could see possibly taking inside of six months, and certainly we would share any of that information when it is complete with Members of this House. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. The Minister talks about sharing that information with Members of the House. I would like to know whether or not that information would also be shared with the general public. Thank you.
My intention and the department’s intention is to get the information out to the public in due course. Once that work is complete, you can rest assured that it will be available to Members and to the public. I think this project has been followed closely by the public and the information should get out there. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question has to do with the reference in the Minister’s statement to collection of tolls. I’m really pleased to see that we’re going to doing it electronically and that it’s not going to require paper and killing of trees and so on. I’d like to know from the Minister, in the development of regulations for the collections of tolls, has he, has the department consulted with the public. Thank you.
Yes, the department has consulted with the trucking industry and folks that will be utilizing that system. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
