Debates of October 30, 2006 (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my Member’s statement today, for the last three years I’ve been working very hard to try to get the all-weather road from Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik. However, Mr. Speaker, recently I’ve been trying to get an access road to source 177, which is 22 kilometres away from Tuk. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Kevin Menicoche…Mr. Speaker, like I indicated, for the past three years I’ve been working with the previous Minister of Transportation with regard to trying to get access to the gravel source. I’m just wondering, can the Minister of Transportation indicate whether he will work with MACA to access funding to go to source 177? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Return To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Good afternoon and thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

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I would like to, first of all, just indicate to the honourable Member that the Inuvik to Tuk road and access to source 177 is a long-standing priority of this government and the Member is also aware that at the conclusion of this session, officials from the Department of Transportation will be going up to Tuk to meet with the Inuvik/Tuk committee and discuss some of the issues surrounding getting to the source 177.

Further to that, a lot of the cost that’s included in the whole Inuvik to Tuk highway, the access to source 177, is wrapped up with the federal government once again, Mr. Speaker. Right now we’re kind of hampered. We’re waiting on some decisions for some funding through the highways and borders infrastructure funding from the federal ministry. I hope that’s helpful to the Member at this time, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to ask the Minister, back a couple years ago there was Corridors for Canada and there was money identified in that document. Also, I understand that right now they’re looking at Corridors for Canada II and Connecting Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast. Can the Minister indicate on whether the federal government has identified those documents and put money to it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. All these submissions were made to the federal government on Corridors for Canada II and connecting to Canada, and the indications of that Inuvik to Tuk highway are in those documents and we’re waiting once again for federal commitment. There’s been nothing said to this point and previous discussions. There was actually no uptake. The Member spoke about our Premier meeting with the federal government to that respect. It was discussed, but there was actually, there were non-responsive indications of a program specifically for Tuk highway there, Mr. Speaker. However, I’ll reiterate that it is a priority of this government and committee to continue to stress with the federal departments that this is one of the priorities that we’d like to pursue. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I ask the Minister, he indicated that the federal government is non-responsive to the highway to Tuk at the present time. I guess I’d like to ask the Minister, how strong is the Department of Transportation trying to work with the federal Minister of Transportation to get these type of documents identified? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Menicoche

Further Return To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. A lot of the discussion that happens with the federal government we can look to the past to kind of see how they treat our submissions in Corridors to Canada I when we applied to the strategic infrastructure fund. What they had done, once they had given us one percent of the $2 billion they had announced, and that’s a kind of similar level of funding that we’d been looking at there, Mr. Speaker. There will be that as well as the new highway borders infrastructure fund that the Minister had indicated in his budget statement. That still hasn’t been decided. All indications are saying that there’s going to be a fall announcement for this new infrastructure funding for the North, but that hasn’t yet even materialized at all. So further information will be forthcoming on this matter, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

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

Supplementary To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, he indicated that after the session is over he’ll be going down to Tuk and Inuvik to discuss the all-weather road and the access to source 177. Will the Minister come down with any funding or will he bring down lip service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. The time for Members’ oral questions has expired; however, I will allow the Minister to answer. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 225-15(5): Access Road To Tuktoyaktuk Granular Source 177

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Right now, there was an offer of $25,000 that has all indications showing it’s unexpended yet for the purpose of conducting initial surveys to access the gravel at source 177 and that’s going to be part of the discussions that’s going to occur with the Inuvik/Tuk committee with the officials from the Department of Transportation. Mahsi cho.