Debates of October 23, 2006 (day 13)

In 2004, there were over 50,000 passengers and cargo flights landing in Yellowknife. This year, the number of flights grew by 30,000 flights because the winter roads closed early. A lot of these flights flew over Yellowknife waking babies, upsetting parents and causing a serious amount of noise pollution. When and if the pipeline goes ahead, flights over Yellowknife will only seriously increase.

Last year, the diamond mines were only able to get about two-thirds of their vehicles that they required in to get their freight and resupply ready. That forces them to find extra alternative ways to get that freight in by flying it through. As a consequence, Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife is subjected to the Russian planes in our airspace flying over 24 hours a day all summer. This means this annoyed a lot of Yellowknifers, if the Minister of Transportation isn’t getting it.

The territorial government is spending millions on fixing winter road access every year to help industry, but it seems climate change is beating us down and our winter roads are shrinking. So, yet again, Mr. Speaker, this is a fine example where the NWT continues to support industry and the federal government by us spending millions of dollars on roads that we get very little or no return at all on, but it’s not all doom and gloom, Mr. Speaker. I have a solution to the problem. We need to finally complete the Ingraham Trail, Mr. Speaker, by building an all-weather year-round road to the mining corridor. We have to do this long before Nunavut wakes up and realizes that the Bathurst deepwater port may be a good argument. So, Mr. Speaker, we need to reinvigorate Diefenbaker’s dream about access to the North.

Mr. Speaker, maybe this Conservative Prime Minister will finally wake up and hear the cry of the North’s promise about true access. Mr. Speaker, now I have heard the cost of flying those planes, the diamond mine resupply, costs millions and millions of dollars. So let’s start reinvesting this money into road infrastructure rather than allowing it to fly away.

As the Premier has said, it only costs about $50 million to build a rough road all the way up from Yellowknife to this mining corridor, so let’s spend money that would be money well spent. Logistically, it makes sense to allow resupply to happen year round, rather than squeeze it in between 90 days or less. I am saying the GNWT and the mines should petition the federal government together, because the federal government is the one receiving the royalties and they should be a major player in this. Mr. Speaker, may I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement?

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays?

Nay.