Debates of May 14, 2007 (day 6)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up with the Member’s statement on the Deh Cho Bridge project. I just have some questions for the honourable Premier, Mr. Handley, I think whose court that this bridge is in right now. I just want to talk about some cost recovery initiatives that this government could probably give the green light to and probably should seriously consider giving the green light to since the Deh Cho Bridge sounds like it’s a go ahead anyway. The $6 a ton fee that the Premier was talking about last week that the rates plus the cost of living that’s going to be charged to haulers on that bridge project, I want to ask the Premier if when the bridge is built in 2010, say optimistically, but it could be built a little later, but hopefully around 2010-2011, what that rate, that $6 rate is going to be at then. Is it still going to be at $6 or are we looking at $10 per ton then and if it is at $10 per ton, what is going to stop these private haulers, like the fuel haulers, from building their own ice bridge and just going around the Deh Cho Bridge altogether on an ice road? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Return To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll answer briefly. These questions are more appropriate for the Minister of Transportation. The toll is not likely going to be $10. My estimate, I believe, is it would roughly be $6.50 if we apply the inflation factor to the numbers we had when they were first worked out at $6. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I remember correctly, too, that $6 is based on a $60 million project and not 130 or 150 million dollar project. So that just changes everything drastically. I’m just looking at the $2 million over and above the already $2 million that we pay for ferry and ice road operations. So that looks like we’re paying out about $4 million per year out of our government revenues, taxpayers’ money, I guess, to finance the Bridge Corporation. I want to ask the Minister, if we are so hard on seeing this bridge project go through and we give the green light automatically or with not much public input, why can’t we give a green light on a bridge reserve fund today so we have a reserve sitting there in 2010-2011 with maybe $10 million that we could put right down on the bridge right off the get go? Can we get a reserve fund established? Get a toll on the ferry starting today, Mr. Speaker. Why isn’t that an option, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll refer this question to the Minister of Transportation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think, if I understand the question correctly, the Member’s after can we realize some savings and create a fund to pay for the bridge. Fifty percent of the costs that we’re talking about for operating a new bridge is already being spent right now as we operate our ferry and ice bridge there, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the $6 per ton for a truck, that is a new figure that we have been using. That is something that the way it is right now in the financial model, is to become effective the day the bridge starts operating. There is an inflationary factor. If the pressures are there, it may be more than $6 when the bridge opens, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t get any indication of why we are not charging a toll fee on tonnage in the operations of the ferry or even the operations of the highway. I know there is a fixed rate at the weigh scales that companies pay, but right now, before we hit them with the $6.50 in 2010 or $10 or whatever it may be when the bridge finally opens its gates, why can’t we just start charging them a toll right now? Then when it comes time to charge them a toll when the bridge is open, they won’t take it so harshly and won’t try to think of alternatives to work around it. Why can’t we do that today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the Member has a good question and the way that the Deh Cho Bridge Act is set up, it has nothing to do with our current operations. If the Member is looking at a government implementing a toll on our existing ferry systems, we will have to look at different legislation to do that, Mr. Speaker. The decision was made many years ago when we created our ferry system, is for easy, free access for the North and all northerners. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. A short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, if we need some more marine transportation legislation, fine, let’s just forget about the toll on the ferry. Let’s have a toll on our highway system. How about that? Why don’t we put a toll fee right at the weigh scales in Enterprise where the trucks come in? Why can’t they pay a toll fee right there? I don’t see that charging them $10 extra is going to make any big difference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have just been advised that a highway tax was severely defeated a term ago. I don’t think we want to go there. I think the Member’s intention is good in bringing forward that suggestion of creating the tolls and phase it in right now but, legislatively, we are just in no position to do that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t see any legislation being a big roadblock to implementing any kind of toll fee on our highway system which really takes a lot of wear and tear over one year. We are just dishing out millions and millions of dollars to keep the highway open free of charge. I know that the mines charge companies roughly about $100,000 a year to use their ice roads. We don’t charge anybody any toll fee to use our ice bridges or any bridges that we have up and down the Mackenzie Valley, so why don’t we consider something like that? If we want to be smart businesspeople here, let’s act like businesspeople here and treat our customers like everybody else treats them. If they have money to spend, why don’t we get some of it? By that, I mean why can’t we put in some kind of a bridge reserve fund starting soon so…

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 75-15(6): Deh Cho Bridge Project

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In many of the jurisdictions across Canada, that is what in effect they do for reconstruction, rebuilding the highways, their bridges. They do slow the traffic down and provide tolls. They then recover some costs for those repairs because it is the travelling public that use it. But here in the North, our traffic volume just cannot sustain something like that, especially the smaller vehicles. Once again, we have to introduce new legislation to collect tolls. If that is something the Member wants to put forward and that is something the public wants, they are going to have to let the government know and we can pursue that kind of legislation. But up to now, Mr. Speaker, we are not considering any tolls for the travelling public on ferries or highways at this time. Mahsi.