Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of the New Building Canada Fund, the GNWT and the federal government have committed $292 million to highway improvement projects in the NWT over the next eight years. As far as I can tell, none of that money has yet been allocated for any improvements to the Mackenzie Highway from the border to Kilometre 186. Almost every day, I stand up here and talk about a vital component that we need to build our economy. Today is no different. If we're serious about diversifying and growing our economy, we need to make improvements to our primary corridor to the south. Anyone who has driven that stretch of road, particularly from the border to Enterprise, knows that while the road is relatively well maintained, it is in most places as narrow as a highway can possibly be, ending at the white lines, literally having no shoulders.
Yesterday, the Premier talked about expanding our tourism industry. South of the lake, our tourists don't fly in from overseas. They generally drive in from down south, usually with large RVs or fifth wheels. When you cross the NWT–Alberta border, you immediately notice the difference in the quality of the highways. We want to give tourists a great first impression, and they need to feel as though they are safe on our highways. We must also improve the highway to accommodate and attract industry to the North. The road to Fort McMurray has wide shoulders and is a high-load corridor, making it easier and safer to transport large equipment.
We don't necessarily need to prepare for a McMurray-like boom, but we might was well dream big. Most equipment from mining, oil, and gas operations also comes up that highway, and there is a good chance we will see an increase in logging trucks as well. We need to be prepared for the increase of transport trucks on the highway and make sure it's safe for everyone, and we need to make sure we have the infrastructure to attract and accommodate industry. I’ll have questions for the Minister of Transportation during question time.
