Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Gargan on June 17, with respect to the amount paid to truckers for hauling gravel at Fort Providence. Truck haul rates are not set by the Department of Transportation. The department's long-standing practice for highway reconstruction contracts is to publicly tender the work. The market then determines the prices bid for construction, including gravel haul. The prime contractor will often subcontract hauling to local trucking firms. The rates agreed to between the prime contractor and trucking subcontractors are a private contractual arrangement.
In general, the rates currently being paid to subcontractors are less than the rates on the tender bid since the prime contractor allows for incidental costs, overhead and profit. The construction market has been very competitive lately, complaints from some trucking subcontractors stating that they cannot make a fair return at the rates being offered by prime contractors. Question O608-12(2): Term Position, Child Sexual Abuse The department is examining this issue, and I will be making a recommendation to cabinet in the near future. Our objectives are to ensure fairness and good value for public funds while ensuring the long-term viability and stability of northern businesses. Thank you.