Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. I have been beating the drum on this side on my favourite two words: Highway 7. I, like my constituents who use it daily, have rattled on the washboards, sunk in its mud holes, avoided the sinkholes. Actually, I didn’t avoid it. I actually stood in one with Minister Ramsay a couple of years ago, and now at kilometre 169 there’s a dip so big it reminds of a roller coaster.
My constituents value that highway and I believe our government should as well.
Highway No. 7 is part of our National Highway Transportation System. The residents of Fort Liard and Fort Simpson, who use the highway daily, would like this road reconstructed back to the standards of a national highway. I am very dismayed that, despite raising and highlighting the major attention that Highway 7 needs, I never see these two words mentioned in any official government documents such as our yearly budget addresses, speeches by Cabinet in Ottawa, and most recently the Minister of Transportation’s opening remarks in Committee of the Whole yesterday. They tell me it’s a priority. But like an idea, it’s not an idea until it’s written down. So make this a real priority. This government simply must be beating the drum too.
Two new initiatives, the Slave Geological highway and the Mackenzie Valley Highway expansion, have significant documentation and significant attention by our government. This is the level of attention and written priority that simply must be given to Highway No. 7 in order to get this piece of infrastructure supported in Ottawa. The benefits of upgrading the road base are many and can generate much needed revenue in the future for our government.
I would say that my efforts and the support of my colleagues are not fruitless. This Assembly has dedicated capital resources for repairs for some reconstruction this year in the capital budget and there is a long-term strategy. However, I believe, as I have stated today, much more has to be done to make this highway a real priority for this government for our Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
