Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the summer, I did quite a bit of travelling on the highway between Hay River and Yellowknife. During these trips there was a lot of disruption due to the construction crews working on various parts of the highway, particularly in the Fort Providence area.
Mr. Speaker, I was quite happy to put up with these disruptions to my travels. I have long believed that the development of a good highway system would have substantial long-term economic benefits for all of the Northwest Territories, and I am still convinced of this.
However, Mr. Speaker, there are other short-term benefits to be received as well. As the honourable Member for Keewatin Central has stated in this House many times, it is important that local residents receive some economic benefits, both in terms of training and employment, from construction projects in their region.
During my trip, I noticed quite a few of my constituents working in these construction crews, employed as heavy equipment operators, flag persons, and surveyors.
This shows that the contractors have made some efforts to employ local people, and I would like to thank them for this. However, I believe it important that we, as a government, continue to promote, and monitor, local employment in construction projects.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of Transportation during the last Assembly, Mr. Gordon Wray, for his vision in developing and implementing the N.W.T. Transportation Strategy.
I believe Mr. Wray recognized the importance of developing a viable transportation link to the rest of Canada. I am happy to see that this strategy has been followed by the former Minister, Mr. Allooloo, and the current Minister, Mr. Whitford.
Like Mr. Wray, I believe that the development of a transportation system should be one of the highest priorities of this government, not only for the link it provides with the rest of Canada, but for the substantial long-term and short-term economic benefits and opportunities it provides to the lesser developed regions of the N.W.T.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.