Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I have some opening comments. Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to put before you, the Department of Transportation's proposed capital budget for 1995-96.
I am encouraged by several positive statements Members have made about some of the Department of Transportation's major capital projects this year: the highway reconstruction and paving program; airport improvements under the strategic transportation infrastructure agreement; community access roads; and, the Mackenzie Highway extension to Wrigley.
I want to thank the Members for their kind comments. It's nice to hear that we can get things right once in a while. More than that, I want to return the compliment and thank the Members for their helpful assistance and cooperation -- let me stress, cooperation -- both inside and outside the House. As the Minister of Transportation, I have received a lot of advice and support from the Members in making our transportation programs work well.
At $36.3 million, the budget before you today proposed to spend $1 million less in 1995-96 than we are spending this year.
With a smaller budget, we have had to consider each and every capital project to decide on those which should go forward and those which we have to defer. These are difficult decisions to make but, in view of our financial position, they are decisions which have to be made.
As we go through the capital programs, I hope the Members will see that we have applied our limited capital dollars to achieve the greatest advantage in pursuing our economic objectives.
The 2,200 kilometre highway in the Northwest Territories is our largest asset in the transportation system. With proposed expenditures in 1995-96 of $19.8 million, highway construction accounts for the largest portion of the department's capital budget.
The highway reconstruction program has made substantial progress over the last several years in improving the main corridor between the Alberta border and Yellowknife.
Including this past year's reconstruction program, now almost two-thirds of the 526 kilometre route has a paved, asphalt surface.
For 1995-96, the department plans to continue with the reconstruction of Highway 3 between Fort Providence and Rae-Edzo. Consultations with the North Slave communities will take place on the planning and alignment of the remaining section between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife. The proposed expenditures in 1995-96 on Highway 3 amount to $7.7 million.