In their analysis when they developed their plan, Mr. Chairman, do they take into consideration the existence of communities that have been in the Territories? Do they take into consideration the needs of the communities? That particular highway from Fort Smith to the Pine Point junction was probably there longer than the Pine Point highway itself, and it seems like the Pine Point highway got paving and ours has only been ad hoc, if I can use the word, partially paved. What seems to be some of the points here is that this government addresses areas and the way they spend their money, areas of pavement or areas of highways; I think the Minister is trying to say to me that the demand is not as great. How do we anticipate the demand to be great if people know they have to travel on this highway which is a gravel highway? In regard to safety, why has he not taken that into consideration, the number of people who have got into accidents on the gravel highway. It would be interesting to know what the Minister's plans are from the Pine Point turnoff to Fort Resolution. There is probably no consideration on paving on that highway until after the year 2000, by the way their department officials seem to plan.
As for the Minister stating that they have to do construction in areas where it is too narrow to pave, there are very few parts, if any, where construction needs to be done, because that highway base has been there for so long. To state that it is too narrow to pave, I do not agree with that. Because it is not too narrow to pave.
But what I do want to obtain from the Minister is whether the Minister will make a commitment to review his departmental plans, his transportation strategy which I know he has in place, which even has a highway from here to the Keewatin, which I do not know if they will achieve. But I want to know if he will make a commitment to review his departmental plan and determine whether his department can finish the paving that he started back in 1985, before 1997?