Mr. Speaker, I just want to assure all the Members that we do take every question with seriousness and respect. Thank you.

Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister Responsible for Transportation. The Department of Transportation administers a Community Local Access Road Program to provide funds for the construction of roads from communities to local resources.

The residents of Baker Lake have had an outstanding request for an access road toward White Hill Lake for nearly three years now. Although a preliminary planning survey was conducted in 1990, I am told that no progress has been made on the project since then.

My question is, can the Minister of Transportation explain why the Baker Lake project which, apparently, received some priority in the past, has not progressed under the leadership of the Minister from Yellowknife? Thank you.

Mr. Whitford.

Supplementary, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the reasons for making this access to the White Hill Lake area in Baker Lake was because they need an area for float planes. Over the past two or three decades, there have been some drownings in Baker Lake itself due to float planes not being able to lift off or land properly on the lake because the lake itself is too large and I am just wondering if this will be considered by the Minister? Thank you.

Mr. Whitford.

Supplementary, Mr. Arngna'naaq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister advise this House whether he still considers the N.W.T.

Transportation Strategy tabled in 1990 to be the key planning document for transportation in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Whitford.

Oral Questions. Mr. Pudlat.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do snow removal for elders in the communities, and the disabled. Other than that it is the tenants' responsibility to remove their snow. I will check on it, but possibly, one community could be using M.A.C.A. equipment to remove snow from the driveways of some of the public houses. I know that was the case in Fort Resolution. They ran into money problems, and consequently the tenant's had to pay it themselves. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know that it is not like that in some of the communities. In my own community we have good snow removal, we do not even have to do our own snow removal beside our own houses. However, in one of the communities, I know of more than one winter they have run into this problem. Is it due to lack of funding? Would the Minister of the Housing Corporation allocate more funds for snow removal, working with the Minister of M.A.C.A., in regards to Cape Dorset? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will look into it and get back to the Member.

Item 5, Oral Questions. Mr. Gargan.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, last month on October 23, according to the Press Independent, the ferry at Fort Providence was pulling out the Coast Guard boat in Beaver Lake. The ferry was gone for approximately nine hours. Mr. Speaker, today is November 23, one month later. I would like to ask the Minister, after he has done all his analysis and billing arrangements to the federal government, does he have an amount that is going to be charged back to the federal government as a result of the transportation delays, and the ferry being utilized by the federal Coast Guard?

Mr. Whitford.