Debates of November 27, 2007 (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Premier. Again, it relates to the Deh Cho Bridge project and what I see as a rush to sign a concession agreement that was, by most accounts, an incomplete concession agreement signed on the 28th day of September. That was a Friday. It was three days prior to the territorial election on October 1st. I would like to ask the Premier if, in fact, he would call for a public inquiry as to the conduct of the previous government in dealing with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation and the signing of this incomplete agreement? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of a public inquiry is one thing, but going back to the question, I guess the decision of a previous government, in a sense, what would that accomplish for us? I would instead say, as the 16th Assembly, and as the Premier of the 16th Assembly, I would undertake a review of the processes and the outstanding issues around that project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, governments of all kinds, the federal government and other provincial governments, conduct public inquiries on previous governments all of the time. It happens. Case in point is the Mulroney/Schreiber affair in Ottawa. They are pulling him before a committee of Parliament. It happens, I think, when it comes to public money and the rollout of this project, and by most accounts, this process has been flawed. Again, I would like to ask the Premier, will he entertain a full public inquiry into the Deh Cho Bridge project and the processes that were followed in signing that concession agreement on September 28th? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as in my initial response as Premier, I will undertake to look at this matter of where we have gone at that point, sit down with Members to see what the next steps may be that we may look at as an Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I feel very strongly that we need to learn a lesson in what happened here. The only way for me to get some satisfaction that we have learned a lesson is to find out exactly what happened, who the players were and why that agreement was signed on September 28th. Can I ask the Premier to find out why that agreement was signed on September 28th? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I am able to do, there are some rules that we operate by in looking at previous decisions. But as the information we have and what is outstanding and my commitment to Members of this House is to look at this project and the process that was used. Again, I would be prepared to sit down with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seemed to me that the deadline for the Government of the Northwest Territories to sign this concession agreement was October 1st. It was signed on September 28th and somebody somewhere has to be held accountable for why that decision to sign that agreement was done on September 28th. We can go back and forth all we want, but all the public deserves, and what Members of this side of the House deserve, are some answers. I would like to have some answers from the Premier on why the rush to sign the concession agreement, an incomplete document, was done on September 28th. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 26-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Concession Agreement

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge isn’t a new project. It has been in the works since the legislation was first brought in in the 14th Assembly. It has had numerous amounts of debate in this forum and, once again, in the 16th Assembly, we are having some discussion on that. I have committed to look at the process that was used and come back and sit down with Members and look where we go from there. Thank you.