Debates of August 21, 2007 (day 14)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to probe a bit more on the Deh Cho Bridge. My question would be directed to the Premier. I, too, would like to thank him for the invitation to attend his celebration on Friday, but it came as quite late notice. I am afraid I have some other engagements that day. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier for some detail on exactly what it is that will be signed on Friday. Can he outline the particulars and the extent of the commitments that will be made on Friday by this government, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sorry the Member can’t attend the celebration, but if he wishes to send a message, then I would be happy to deliver that on his behalf.

---Laughter

I say that most sincerely, because I think the people in Fort Providence that combine the community alliance would appreciate that from Members.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT is not signing anything at the celebration, but there is a conditional contractual agreement. That is the term they use. It is being signed between the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and the contractor at that ceremony. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Conditional contractual. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, to the best of my knowledge, has an extremely limited equity that they have been able to put forward for this project. It is all on the basis of collecting tolls and of the additional investment that we are going to make through the costs we are otherwise putting into the ferry, the ice road and the additional $2 million.

I have to continue asking. Just what are the commitments, then, that the GNWT is either directly or indirectly put on the line here when this agreement will be signed by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, who, in effect, are agents of the GNWT in constructing this bridge, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

I am not sure I understand what is meant by who is our agent. We don’t have an agent as such. The bridge is being built and is going to be owned by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation for a period of 35 years. During that time, they will, as the Member has said, collect tolls and do the maintenance and so on.

During the construction, they are the ones who will sign a contract with the construction firm, Adcon, who is doing the building of the bridge. Mr. Speaker, when they sign the agreement this week, then it is for the beginning. The contractor wants to begin the construction this fall in order to complete it by November 2010. If he doesn’t start this fall, then it pushes everything back next summer. So we have, as a government, given an additional $5 million advance to the Bridge Corporation to enable them to be able to sign on and start some of the work this fall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you for the information. Now we know that $5 million is what we have on the table for the initial start of the construction. Mr. Speaker, looking back at some files from the previous debate on the Bridge Corporation from 2003, in March of 2003, the NWT Association of Communities passed a resolution. It is in support of the construction of a bridge. It resolved that the NWT Association of Communities supports the proposal so long as the benefits to users can be shown to significantly exceed the costs. Can the Premier produce information that would support and endorse the Association of Communities’ support for this as long as there are significant benefits? Where are those benefits, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said earlier, the cost to the users of the bridge is $6 a tonne in 2002 dollars, or roughly $6.75 today and some other figure in 2010 when it is completed. Nothing has changed that. Mr. Speaker, I expect that, because nothing has changed, the Association of Communities will still take the same position they had before, because their costs have not increased relative to everything else that is going up, of course, in life and the cost of living in the North.

Mr. Speaker, let’s go beyond communities. The additional benefit is to the mining communities. Mr. Speaker, that is essential. Now, Mr. Speaker, I have to say that even this fall, we are under pressure to operate the ferry 24 hours a day starting this fall in order to keep up with what industry needs coming across with the ferry. They are concerned. There is going to be a backlog of vehicles starting in October on the ferry. The ferry is not going to be able to keep up. So this is important to industry. It is important now. They need it not just for costing but also to be able to run their increased number of mines on this side of the river. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Mr. Speaker, those are all very valid arguments and discussions. It is precisely the kind of thing that I and other Members of this Assembly are pleading for. Get this information out here so that we have some sense. I can’t believe that the Premier is saying to us that nothing has changed. Mr. Speaker, this thing has gone from $60 million to $150 million. That is still just an estimate. That has changed. He has suggested that the toll fee isn’t going up from that originally projected. Arguably he is right. But we are going to be paying the same fee for twice as long. Twice as much money is going to go into the same thing. That is what has changed. It is astonishing that the Premier does not at least recognize that and give us some of the information to back up why this is a good project.

In 2003, Mr. Speaker, a significant study, well over 50 pages, was produced on the cost-benefit analysis of the Deh Cho Bridge. Why doesn’t the Premier give us the same thing updated five years later with a project that has doubled the cost to show us that this is still a good one? That is what we are asking for. Prove it.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 169-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The cost of the bridge has gone up; there is no doubt about that. The cost to the public has not gone up. It is still $6, or $6.75. I don’t know how many times I can repeat that. That has not changed. Mr. Speaker, why has the bridge gone up? How is it being managed? How are we dealing with all of this? We did a presentation to the committee on July 12th. I don’t want to go through all of those pages, but I will give the Member a copy of it. That can help him to understand why it has gone up and how it is being handled.

Mr. Speaker, while the costs have gone up on the bridge, the costs of everything else has gone up too. Mr. Speaker, the number of tonnes going over that bridge has gone up and will continue to go up as there are more mines and other economic activity. Mr. Speaker, there are more people living on this side of the river. All of that is changing, but that doesn’t mean that we have to change from $6 or $6.75 a tonne. That amount to the public is still the same as it was in 2002. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.