Mr. Speaker... [English translation not provided.]
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week Members have been called back to consider legislation to establish the necessary authority that will provide for the GNWT to administer the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge. I spoke in the House in February to point out that Nahendeh people don’t want to see any more over-expenditures on this project. As taxpayers, they do not want to be left to pay for the cost overruns. I trust that, as Minister Michael McLeod advised in response to my questions in February, over-expenditures will eventually be offset by the revenues collected by toll fees.
Mr. Speaker, the vision we have for the Deh Cho Bridge is partly a symbolic one. The bridge is a link to the rest of Canada, and if we build a bridge across the Mackenzie, my vision is an improved highway to the rest of the Deh Cho and the Nahendeh will come.
I do support the government’s recent decision to take over the project and see it to completion. I have been asked to be vigilant over our management of the Deh Cho Bridge. My residents do want to see its completion, but do not want to see any more delays and increased costs paid by our tax dollars.
Minister McLeod earlier advised that the government was looking at providing signage on the highway and a website to keep the public informed of the progress on the bridge construction. I believe that this will be of interest to NWT residents and I look forward to seeing Northerners being informed on this major project. It is important that the remainder of the project goes smoothly in order to keep costs of both construction and borrowing in line. Residents have never been asked to carry the cost of this bridge, and they are not prepared to do so, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues, especially the Premier and Minister of Transportation, are well aware of my questions of the Deh Cho Bridge Project at every turn since becoming a Member of this House in 2003. Mr. Speaker, as much as it might pain some people in this building, I am going to continue to question the project over the course of this special sitting of the House.
Mr. Speaker, during this sitting, I will be seeking clarification on a number of issues. The first is what exactly we have committed to as a government with Ruskin for the remaining work on the project. I want to know specifically when the contracts were signed and by whom they were signed. When were milestones reached on negotiations for the notice to award and the intent to award and the notice to proceed? What currently is the Government of the Northwest Territories’ legal authority over these contracts and can we avoid taking on the responsibility that these contracts entail?
Mr. Speaker, my belief is we continue to compound bad decisions with more bad decisions. If we are to take this project on lock, stock and barrel, then work should be stopped on this project. A complete and thorough audit has to be done of the work performed by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and contractors who have worked on this project. Before we rush into spending almost $100 million more, should we not take complete stock of where we have been and get assurances that the construction to date is of a quality and standard that would warrant us spending additional money? This seems only logical to me.
Why then have we rushed into and negotiated a sole-source contract when we know full well that others would have submitted bids? If we went to tender, perhaps even Ruskin may have gotten the bid.
Don’t we have an obligation to the taxpayers and the public to manage the public purse? I am left wondering why was the government so intent on a sole-source deal with Ruskin. It would seem to me that perhaps it was the easy way out. Ruskin was owed money. They are familiar with the project and they know, Mr. Speaker, in which closets the skeletons are hung. The government would not have to answer questions from a new contractor.
Mr. Speaker, I have not wavered from my belief that the Deh Cho Bridge Project has got to be seen through to its completion. Given the history of the project, I just want to make sure that good…
Mr. Ramsay, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to make sure that good sound decisions are being made on this project. I have always believed that if you are going to do anything, you have to make sure that you are doing it right. Mr. Speaker, this is something that I live by and I am going to hold the government to account on this project. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a few statements about this sitting of the Legislature and why we are back here. The public very well knows that we had our spring budget session, which lasted almost six weeks, and towards the end of that session information and circumstances came to light that required this government to make the decisions with respect to the Deh Cho Bridge Project.
Mr. Speaker, rather than waiting until the May sitting of the Legislature, by which time the government would have had to expend funds through special warrants and bring forward an appropriation bill at that time in May, it was the feeling of the majority of Members that we should call a special sitting of the Legislature in order to again be able to share with the public and for the government to share with Members more information and an update on this project as it goes forward.
Mr. Speaker, I supported that position that the government took, and I think this is a better way of doing things. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge is a project that came into the care and keeping and mandate of this government by a very strange means, something that this government is not normally accustomed to using in order to acquire capital infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I think it has been proven that it has been a difficult road and I hope a learning road for this government, but the fact of the matter is that now we have a bridge across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence which is half built and we need to move forward. People need to understand, too, that we are not exactly spending $165 million. What we are doing is taking on to our balance sheet, on to our books as a government, a debt for $165 million. In fact, this project is being financed by a lender.
Mr. Speaker, I guess the only... Well, one of the things going forward, whether you agree with this project or not, is something that’s unique about this project is the fact that it does have the ability to generate revenue and be self-financing. So it is a piece of infrastructure which I hope will serve the people of the North for very many years. It is unique. I hope we’ve learned good lessons from it and we will continue to discuss the details of this during this session going forward. Thank you.
