Debates of October 19, 2007 (day 2)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on the questions asked by my colleague Mr. Ramsay with respect to the Deh Cho Bridge. There’s a verse in the Bible, that I know Mr. Roland will be familiar with, that says, “No man builds a house without first counting the cost.” This is an anomaly; this is a public/private partnership, but we are the public piece of that partnership and I still cannot seem to get into my head whether or not we, as a government, have had the opportunity to consider the cost. I’m not prepared to sign a blank cheque. I haven’t even been asked if I want to sign a blank cheque. You know, there is a piece of this that we are party to that we can’t get answers on, and it’s big. We started off with a $50 million bridge at a certain toll and a contribution of this government. Those are the three principles of the business plan that we started off with. The price has changed, the toll has changed and, certainly, I have no idea to what extent our contribution has changed. I don’t know and I want the Premier to be able to answer those questions here today. Indexed? What is it? One million? Two million? I heard one and a half to two million. We need to make those kinds of decisions. We never throw out, in any decisions we make, we never throw out the opportunity to have input and to assess those kinds of investments. Why on this case, and are we past the point of return? Tell me. I need to know that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me tell Members right now, residents of the Northwest Territories, I am not prepared to sign a blank cheque either. I think that’s one of the challenges we’re going to be faced with, as we’ve heard about as Members have got together is one of the issues we have to deal with is the capital infrastructure in that area, the cost of it in the Northwest Territories. Can we meet that need? We’re going to have to ensure the deal that is signed, that we are involved with, is one that can be honoured and can be delivered on what is agreed to. The financing, the tonnage, it all has to fit within the act that was established. That’s what we have to live with right now because that’s in place. The other commitments that we made that are over and beyond that, I’m prepared to share that with Members once we get that information, and I’m prepared to sit down with Members to go through that in detail. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I understand it, the act is a vehicle by which this process can proceed; however, the detail of it is left open and that’s why we’re able to have discussions about, you know, can we still afford our contribution. It used to be just the cost of the ice road and the ferry and now we’re talking about perhaps another $2 million a year indexed over the next 35 years. We just need to see that. We need to know what that is, and we don’t know right now. It seems open ended. Is there a point at which our involvement in this will cause this government to say, no, stop? Is it too late for that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s not too late. The 16th Assembly and its mandate has not signed a deal on proceeding forward in the sense of the no-go or no-stop point. Like the Monopoly board, once you pass go, collect your $200 and go on; we’re not there yet. There are some key issues that are still left out there and one of those that was in the paper for public interest was that navigable waters permit. So that’s one of those things, and a final financing deal that comes down. So we’ll be prepared to sit down with that detail when we get it and inform Members of where we are. I’m not prepared to sign a blank cheque, as I stated earlier. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then I have to ask this Premier, what was the purpose of the trip to Fort Providence, then, with the golden shovels, standing on the banks of the Mackenzie River on the very last day of this government before it dissolved? What was the purpose of that? Was there an actual contract signed in conjunction with that process, or was that just a, you know, a show of some kind of psychological commitment that we’re proceeding with the bridge? Where’s the legal document? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. I don’t know if the Premier wants to answer that, kind of leaning towards what the last government did, but I’ll allow the Minister to if he wants to answer. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I won’t go into the decisions of the past government, but where we are today, what’s in place was a limited agreement to proceed, and that is a minimal amount of work. There is some commitment that Members were aware of, and the government’s loan guarantee that we have on the books today, and that’s the limit that we are faced with today. We have to get the rest of the details to proceed with the actual work and ordering of steel and so on and so forth. Once we get that information, we get the details, I am prepared to sit down with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our Premier is being very helpful with this and I do appreciate this information and I’m sure the public does, as well. So right now, then, as I understand it, the only commitment that this government has is the extent of the loan guarantee, which I believe is around $5 million. We are not liable at this point in time for anything further than the loan guarantee for around $5 million on the Deh Cho Bridge project? Is it nine? Oh, it was five last time I heard it. Ever grows. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 8-16(1): Funding For Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the loan guarantee is what we would be liable for if things did not proceed at this point. That’s it. That’s the number there, but I believe it’s not $5 million, it’s a bit more than that, but that was shared with Members and I believe they’re aware of that. Thank you.