Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on my Member’s statement on the lack of attention by this government and the federal government on Highway No. 7. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance. I know that we have a federal engagement strategy and it is a credit to the northern region where the Inuvik-Tuk highway is on the Prime Minister’s vocabulary. I sure would like to have Highway No. 7 have the same attention as well. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance, when they are having discussions about infrastructure and highways at the federal level, is he willing to bring up the need for Highway No. 7 reconstruction? Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do have a plan for the Northwest Territories. It has been articulated since we have picked the Cabinet and since we set our priorities. One of the major objectives in this Assembly, given the fiscal circumstances that we are in, what happened in the last Assembly as we put all of our pre-capital to take advantage of the stimulus money from the federal government and put out a $1.1 billion capital program over three years is to look at our borrowing limit. Our borrowing limit talks are productive. They are going to result in an increased borrowing limit. The reason that we are going for the borrowing limit is to be able to, in due time in the life of this Assembly, make strategic investments in the areas that we don’t now have the resources to do that. The issue of Highway No. 7 is on that. There is a list. It is going to be called a red flag list. Next in line, should there be funds available, the borrowing limit gets done, we free up some of our savings from within government, then we will be working collectively to address some of those outstanding infrastructure issues like Highway No. 7. Thank you.
I find it incomprehensible that this government does not know about the needs of Highway No. 7. I have been up here for nine years. In the 2012-13 infrastructure budget there is zero dollars allocated to Highway No. 7 and it collapses every spring and that is around the corner. I would like to ask this government what is their plan for Highway No. 7 when it comes to infrastructure investment. Thank you.
We are well aware of the concerns of the Member. We are well aware of the circumstances of the road. We are well aware that we have far more needs than we have resources. This road is on our red flag list. We have to resolve the borrowing limit issue and look at collectively making those strategic initiatives necessary in critical areas such as Highway No. 7. That is the intent of the government. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I know that when there is will and desire by the Cabinet to spend extra money, they can certainly come up with the money. I would like to ask the Finance Minister when is Highway No. 7 being discussed at the Cabinet table. Who represents my constituency at the Cabinet table when this investment is required? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation looks after and is responsible for the highway system in the Northwest Territories. He is responsible. This Cabinet is responsible for addressing the issues of the Members as they are raised in this House. Specifically, the highway issue and the highway inventory will be addressed by the Minister of Transportation as he comes forward with the business plan for the coming year. As we resolve and finalize and move forward with the borrowing limit issue, it will give us the capacity to address this particular circumstance. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to ask the Finance Minister to continue highlighting it at the Cabinet table, because every year for the last nine years, investment expenditure has been done in the late fall when it is rainy season and nothing can be done and projects continue to collapse. My concern is that I cannot wait until the new capital and new budget to be discussed in June during prime construction season. Something has to be done now. I would like to ask the Finance Minister to commit to look after the needs of my constituents and our highway system. Thank you.
That commitment stands for the Member in his constituency as well as all the other Members opposite. We will and are going to do the best job possible with the resources available. We are going to look at making strategic investments. When the Minister of Transportation is back from his travels, he will be able to speak to great detail about the Member’s concerns whether from a broad government point of view. This issue very clearly is on our to-do list, our priority list should extra funds become available, which we anticipate they will in the coming months. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
