Mr. Chairman, this is prior to agreeing to total region $2.120 million, particularly in regard to Highway No. 3, Yellowknife access road reconstruction and paving. The one page project substantiation sheet for Highway No. 3, Yellowknife access road reconstruction and paving investment of $3. million, is just plain flimsy.
It indicates reconstruction is required to address safety problems. No where is there any indication of past accidents, statistics, or any other indication that there is a safety problem or, indeed, whether this investment will make any difference whatsoever. If we are not expecting to get some worthwhile economic or social benefit proportional to the cost, why are we spending $3 million?
Evidence indicates this department does not know. It does not develop plans and strategies to achieve its capital program objectives in the most cost beneficial manner. It does not consider which projects will yield the highest level of social and economic benefits or it would have told us. According to the project substantiation, this project was not even considered a priority by the city of Yellowknife. The committee wondered if Cabinet read this.
Mr. Chairman, again, we regret that the government must think this committee can be fooled. Our intelligence indicates that there is a higher payback with improvements to the highly travelled highway between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife. We have found other examples of questionable transportation projects. It is the Cabinet's job to catch these items before they get to the Assembly.