Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak again today about the Deh Cho Bridge Project.
Earlier this week the Minister of Transportation provided this House with a statement on the Deh Cho Bridge Project. In that Minister’s statement he mentioned a revised construction schedule that the department was evaluating and that he would update the House when that review was complete. I’m having trouble understanding how I’m supposed to believe this.
When the Levelton Report was completed, the department kept that report to themselves for months. They did not share it with Members before it was actually posted on-line. Just yesterday I read on the CBC that construction is behind schedule with the Deh Cho Bridge Project.
Why is it that Members seem to be the last ones to know what is happening with this project? I’m having trouble understanding what the Minister said in his statement the other day, when just two days later the project manager seems to be saying something much different.
The Minister has said to the public and to Members of this House that the work would get done. The contractor was to launch the superstructure from both the north side and the south side, to ensure that work would start on the decks in June. This apparently has not happened. Construction has not even started on the south side and it looks as though construction crews will have to remove temporary bridges from that river during breakup and then put them back in weeks later. This will come at a huge cost.
Yesterday I asked the Minister who would be responsible should the project go past November 2011 and cost us more money, which is exactly what it looks like is going to happen. On a straightforward question you would think I would get a straightforward answer, but the answer the Minister gave me left much to be desired and spoke nothing about responsibility, of which I will continue to ask him questions later today.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
