Debates of August 20, 2007 (day 13)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to raise some questions with the Premier on the Mackenzie Valley highway and the discussion he may have with the Prime Minister or he maybe had some discussions with his fellow Premiers across Canada, especially the western part, in terms of really pushing for the Mackenzie Highway to come through the south to the north here, or from the north down to the south. Can the Premier tell me, is it in the federal government's eyes right now to put the Mackenzie Valley highway down the valley? Can we just do it? Enough talking.

Just do it.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish the federal government would just do it, because I think it's a good idea to do it. I think Diefenbaker started that. Prime Minister Diefenbaker started over 50 years ago. We've got to build infrastructure. We can't just keep studying these things. We’ve got to get on with it.

Mr. Speaker, I've had discussions over the past few years with the Prime Minister, with Minister Prentice, with Minister Cannon, anyone who would listen to us. Myself and the Minister of Transportation have both been strong advocates of it. So we need to get on with it.

Mr. Speaker, the one thing that the federal government has always tied major investment in the Mackenzie Valley highway to is the pipeline. We've got to keep our eye on that file as well, because I think that will provide the economic reason for a good highway down the valley. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Imperial Oil indicated that if the federal government puts some money into infrastructure like the highway, it would bring down the cost of building the pipeline. Is there any update from the federal government on this angle? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Mr. Speaker, it's true that those discussions did take place with Imperial. Imperial agreed that, yes, that would make a difference. I have not seen their latest model for how they propose to build the pipeline, but they're afraid of having their pipeline attached to a highway from an environmental review side, so they've been a little bit reluctant to engage in that. But, Mr. Speaker, we presented that argument to the federal government as well and I can tell you that all of our economy is going to be dependent on good infrastructure some day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm really puzzled why Imperial is so afraid of putting a highway next to the pipeline. They're not afraid of taking our gas out of the North here and taking it out of the Sahtu region and filling their pockets. It's a win-win proposition here. People in the North win; people in Canada win; Imperial Oil can win. Mr. Speaker, I'll ask the Premier on this point here. Would he bring it up again through his Department of Transportation, through the government here, and get this Mackenzie Highway bridge built, similar to the push that's going on for the Deh Cho Bridge?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will bring it up. I'll bring it up right to the last day that I'm in office here, Mr. Speaker. It's my responsibility to do that and I will do it. Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is essential and that's why our government has spent millions of dollars building over 20 some bridges, why we're committed to building a bridge across the Bear River to extend the winter road, and eventually we'll build that into highway. But again, without our fair share of resource revenues, we're very limited in how fast we can move ahead with this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very afraid that this Northwest Territories cash cow is not going to get the Mackenzie Highway built up into our regions here. Mr. Premier, I want to ask you one question. We went on a hike here a couple of times. Last month, in seven days we walked 90 miles and we just did it. We saw what it took from us to do, along with the young leaders and people that accompanied us, and we just did it. I'm asking this government here to look seriously at the Mackenzie Valley highway in the next couple of days you have, in terms of just doing it, put the numbers down, because we're sick and tired in the Sahtu for paying for two litres of milk $6.45 in Fort Good Hope while Yellowknife pays $2.27. Same milk, same cow.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway

Mr. Speaker, I think the question was, will we continue to lobby hard for it. Absolutely, we will. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that not only have we lobbied, but there's a lot of the private sector and aboriginal corporations who are also lobbying and looking at how this could be done. In fact, they're looking at a P3 project. Is there a parallel to be followed similar to the Deh Cho Bridge that would be able to do it? So, Mr. Speaker, these are things that we can't just keep talking about forever. We need to get on with doing them and, Mr. Speaker, I'll do everything I can to make sure that we keep lobbying on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.