Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got some questions for the Minister of Transportation. Again, I’m trying to understand the rationale for not going to tender on the remaining work on the Deh Cho Bridge Project. I’m trying to square that up, Mr. Speaker and looking back at Monday’s unedited Hansard, the Minister is quoted as saying, from page 26, we have a company that’s been able to identify the steel production, the places and slots that we’ve had a reserve in terms of guaranteeing that we’re going to hit the November 2011 time frame. The Minister talks about one company that’s reserved this steel production, but from the information I have, it’s the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation that’s reserved this steel, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister if that is indeed the case. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reservation of steel and the production of steel has been something that we were concerned about and there have been allowances made and we’ve put our reservations in the appropriate production companies to have the steel available when we’re going to need it. The Member is correct; it’s transferrable to different companies. Thank you.
If that’s the case, I’m just wondering why the Minister, on Monday, said that one company had identified the steel production when, in fact, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation that has reserved this steel. Again, that gets me back to my other question, is if the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation has reserved this steel, why wasn’t this opened up to a competitive process so many companies could bid on it? They could obviously take over those orders for steel if they were the successful bidder, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the arrangements for slots and the steel production have been made. The responsibility would go to the contractor to order the steel and that is something we need to move forward on fairly quick. Mr. Speaker, that was my information provided to the Member. The steel, however, ordered through one company can be utilized through a different company, if that was the desire of this project. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I think this is a pretty important point in this. I find it hard to believe that a company that the Government of the Northwest Territories is negotiating with could order this steel without a contract. I can see where the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation could pre-order the steel, yes, but not a company we’re currently under negotiations with. So that’s an important factor, Mr. Speaker. Again, I’d like to ask the Minister, now that the project management team has been replaced, who’s negotiating on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories? Who’s protecting our interests and the taxpayers’ interest here in the Northwest Territories when it relates to that project, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
The Member is asking some very detailed questions that I’m reluctant to provide for in the public right now. There is a team that’s put together. There’s a transition that’s happening with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and ourselves and I have provided the information to him that we have one of our own Transportation people who is involved and we also have a firm that we have hired to work with us. We will provide that information, disclose the names, whatever information he wants when the supp comes forward for discussion. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to finally getting that information when it does become available. I’d like to ask the Minister, is the new contractor, whoever that’s going to be, going to be bonded to do the work in the Northwest Territories, the remaining portion of that work on the Deh Cho Bridge Project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know the Member’s got a low opinion of this project and I’m surprised he would even stoop that low to ask about whether we’re going to do a contract without bonding for this price. I mean, that would be ridiculous. Of course we have bonding.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
