Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To no surprise to the House, and certainly the Minister, I have a few more Inuvik-Tuk highway questions. I’ve been getting feedback from people in the Beau-Del region that the GNWT, in this Inuvik-Tuk Highway Project, will be buying the equipment and turning it over to the contractor. Would the Minister be able to provide some highlights as to what type of contract and deals are being put together for the potential proponent who will be building the Inuvik-Tuk highway? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we haven’t made decisions in this House on whether to move the project forward, we haven’t got the funding agreement from the federal government and the approvals from the federal government, that hasn’t happened. So, obviously, we have not made a decision on procurement for the Inuvik-Tuk highway. That will happen after we get all the approvals. When we get the decision to move forward in this House is when we will make decisions on procurement and not until then. Thank you.
Thank you. The Minister has an interesting point, but the fact is, it doesn’t preclude the opportunity to do and work out some of these deals informally, or even formally, until the final decision is before the House.
So has there been any deals worked on by the Department of Transportation with perspective proponents who will construct the Inuvik highway and whereby we buy, as in where the GNWT buys, the construction equipment and we turn it over free of charge at the end of the project? Thank you.
Thank you. I have no idea who the Member is talking to, but it’s not the same people we’re talking to. Thank you.
Thank you. In the stewardship of good taxpayer spending, will the Minister commit to this House that the GNWT will not be buying any construction equipment for any particular proponent who ends up with this contract if it does proceed, and there will be no giving away any GNWT assets we purchase through our government, and we will not be supporting a contract that buys the equipment so they get it for free? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. That’s a hypothetical question, but I’ll allow the Minister to respond. Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have nothing to add aside from echoing your comments that it is a hypothetical question. Thank you.
Thank you. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate your guidance on that being hypothetical, but that’s also a reality that’s coming to my office as a phone call to be afraid of. So it’s important to get these issues out.
My last question is: Will all of this information be before the public long before a final decision is made in this House? Citizens need to see these facts and understand them and be able to talk to their duly elected officials here and have the good discussion with them before they make the final decision, because if it comes after the decision is made, it becomes useless information. Thank you.
Thank you. That’s a very open-ended question. The Member referenced this information. Not knowing specifically what information the Member is talking about, I can’t say yes to that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Hawkins.
