Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to draw attention to an issue which is both important to myself and the community which I represent and one that speaks to the ambivalence of public government to listen to the people of the North.

Mr. Speaker, this government has repeatedly stated that its actions will be governed by the will of the people. To this end, it has repeatedly shown an effort to meet with the people by means of a public consultation process. I believe that public consultation should be at the forefront of all of our actions.

Mr. Speaker, I get concerned when agencies of public government, such as the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, refused to listen to the concerns of the public and to the community that I serve. The Mackenzie Valley pipeline project will have a major impact on this territory and will have a lasting and significant impact on my community of Hay River. I would like to take a moment to highlight just a few of the impacts this project will have on Hay River.

Mr. Speaker, there are plans for a modular fabrication camp housing 300 persons within Hay River. There will be 5,500 rail cars bringing pipe to NTCL’s barging facility. There will be another approximately 1,200 rail cars per annum carrying fuel over a five-year period. There will be some 3,000 pieces of heavy equipment railed or trucked to our community for movement to the construction camp sites. Over the construction phase, the proposed five-year camps will require 600 to 700 tons of supplies that will be staged in Hay River.

This proposed level of activity is just the tip of the iceberg, Mr. Speaker. Anyone with any vision can see that this project will have a very significant impact on the community of Hay River. Mr. Speaker, this is why I am both perplexed and concerned with the apparent lack of respect shown by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board with their decision not to include Hay River in phase one of their environmental review process. Mr. Speaker, phase one was to be a series of public meetings designed to gather evidence of what concerns the public has and to determine which issues will be examined in detail during phase two of the review. In a document written by the MVEIRB dated February 6, 2004, it is clear Hay River will be significantly impacted.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? No, there aren’t. You have unanimous consent. Conclude your statement.

Paul Delorey

Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That being said, I am mystified why the board declined to grant the Town of Hay River the request to hold public meetings in Hay River to listen to the concerns of the community. At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause