Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Izok Lake project is a unique self-contained project. I do not see it as part of an overall strategy. I see that as a unique opportunity for Canada to get involved in a major mining venture that can bring significant economic benefits, not only to us as northerners, but to the rest of Canada. I do not see that as intervening in the other efforts we are doing across the territories.
Mr. Patterson is correct. We have put forward a proposal to the federal government as part of that $5 million strategy which Mazankowski talked about several months ago. Part of that proposal we put in was to look for some dollars to assist in major marine transportation and, in particular, Iqaluit was one that we were looking at as a major port area.
However, as Mr. Patterson said, we are in election mode, and who knows what is going to happen there. Negotiations or discussions are currently taking place between deputy to deputy. I am cynically optimistic. Is that a contradiction? I am not sure how these discussions will take place. We are, in fact, running out of time in the sense that we will be in full tilt into a federal election. That is going to have an impact because, as the honourable Member for Iqaluit has said, the responsibility lies for this infrastructure with the federal government.
As a new Minister, in looking at what this department has done under the previous Minister, they have done an admirable job in terms of trying to find, within existing resources, some of the marine infrastructure that is required. Not to the point of boredom, but I do want to say we have limited resources. This department has a $34 million capital budget. Nineteen million dollars goes to roads, airports, et cetera. Even though we do not have the direct jurisdiction for it, the department has done a reasonable job in trying to find money or run things more effectively which would bring about some of the infrastructure that is being required. There is very little marine infrastructure in the Baffin, as the honourable Member says, and also in the Keewatin area. There is reasonable marine infrastructure in the western area, but it still requires significant improvement.
It is my job and responsibility, along with the support of the people in this House, to put forward the appropriate proposals under the NWT strategy to seek the federal government's support for financing this. Otherwise, it will be done on a very ad hoc basis. In summary, we are trying, in this unique situation, to access some of this $500 million that was put forward by Mr. Mazankowski. We are, within the existing budget, endeavouring to do what little we can to bring up to grade, improve and build new marine infrastructure. We are going to, in the update of the NWT transportation strategy, ensure that marine infrastructure is as equally important as road infrastructure for several parts of the country. The responsibility will then be to, hopefully, negotiate an appropriate joint initiative with the federal government to put this in place.