Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. While I can appreciate the Member's comments and we have provided, on an annual basis, some fiscal support to the building of a winter road, the development of an all-weather road at this time, given the fiscal conditions we have and the fact that it is in Alberta, if I can be direct about it, isn't a priority at this time. The resources simply aren't there. If they were, we'd be only too happy to look at it.

We are providing, I believe, somewhere around $20,000 to $25,000 on an annual basis to assist in a winter road. We just don't have the fiscal resources at this time to see this as a priority. Thank you.

Thank you, very much. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you. I know the fiscal resources are limited and I don't think the intent of the extension of the highway was to be an all-weather road. I think it was to be considered as a winter road which would probably develop into an all-weather road. I want to advise the Minister, and I think I advised him before, that back in 1958 there was a winter road through the park which extended to Highway 58. So, there is a cut line there. It is a matter of department officials meeting with the Alberta government. I've met with the MLA from that area and we're working on making a joint submission to the federal government regarding this.

It is unfortunate that motions are passed in this House and are ignored by the Department of Transportation when the Minister, himself, always indicates that transportation infrastructure is necessary to economic development.

Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Mr. Todd.

No comment.

General questions or comments. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know the Minister doesn't want to comment because nothing is being done. Maybe he figures if we stay quiet about it, nothing will continue to be done. Can the Minister's department find some way to address the support for extension Highway 58 into Fort Smith? Thank you.

Mr. Todd.

I have to be candid. I don't have the fiscal resources now or in the future to look at extending that highway, which is in Alberta. I am prepared to initiate discussions, as we did a few years ago, with the Alberta government to see if there is some way we could make an arrangement. It would be incorrect for me to say that we can take steps to look at that highway at this time because the fiscal resources simply aren't there. I have already cut back $1 million on this budget because of budget restraints and requests from FMB. We have to do it, grudgingly. No one likes to cut. In fairness to the Member, I would have to say we don't have the existing resources to do that right now and I don't see it in the future, unless something changes. However, I am prepared to initiate discussions with Alberta to see what their position is and if they see some value in looking at some kind of joint initiative. That is as far as I would be prepared to go at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. General comments. I would like to tell Members that any one Member can't speak for more than 10 minutes in committee of the whole at any one time. But I should point out that we have had lots of individual questions, none of which have gone beyond a minute or two. I would like to give other Members a chance to make comments. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It appeared Members didn't want to make comments, but were ready to go line by line. That is why I didn't go into general comments. I need these questions answered for my constituents, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, the Minister indicated that a few years ago his department was discussing this issue with the Alberta government. It appeared that these discussions have been placed by the wayside. The Minister stated that his budgets have had to face cuts, which we are all aware of. At the same time, we have to recognize that they certainly got a good increase from the Alberta government for road maintenance in Alberta.

Seeing that Fort Smith is right on the border, just within the territories, we have somewhat of an overlapping area with respect to highway maintenance. Since the motion has passed in the House, not only in this Legislative Assembly, but in the 11th Legislative Assembly, would the Minister consider looking at further discussions with the Alberta government to look at the extension of this highway? If he can't, would he support the Highway 58 committee, which is moving towards the extension of Highway 58 into Fort Smith, and give the support from his department, whichever way he can, to address the extension of that particular highway?

Mr. Todd.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I said, I have to initiate some discussions with the Alberta government. My deputy minister has told me that there were discussions that took place over two years ago, but didn't go very far, unfortunately. We are prepared to raise the profile of this issue, but I have to qualify it by saying in fairness to the Member and her constituency, we don't have the capital dollars

to do anything other than what we have in place. If circumstances change in the coming years, that is fine. We will initiate some discussions with the Alberta government and we will also work with the committee. We can do both. In fairness to the constituency, it is important to say that this is a very difficult time to look for additional dollars. Thank you.

Before I recognize Mrs. Marie-Jewell, are there any other Members who would still like to make general comments? Mr. Patterson, Mr. Whitford, Mr. Antoine. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Mr. Whitford, did you want to make comments?

(Microphone turned off)...Please go ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I understand what the Minister is saying. At the same time, there are a few areas, particularly in highway funds. First of all, the community is not asking for capital dollars to address that particular highway. They are asking for support to continue to look at some way to extend Highway 58 into Fort Smith. They are asking for the political support, either on behalf of his department or on behalf of the Minister. I am telling the Minister that his department did do it a few years ago, but dropped it. It is still a priority for the community.

Secondly, there was a winter road there. So it is a cut-line now. If the political support was there, the community's next step would be to ask for support of the Minister of Education to allow for the heavy equipment training group to go in and do the road, as a winter project. Until we can get the political support from the Minister, it is difficult to achieve that in order to enhance any type of economic viability for the community. I just wanted to make those comments because of the lack of political support from this Minister with regard to that initiative. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Marie-Jewell. Next on my list is Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a few short comments. I have made these before about this department, but I want to reiterate them and note further progress since we last reviewed this budget. I am delighted that the Minister has made significant steps to enhance the authority of staff in the region to deliver Transportation programs. He said he was going to do it. He made steps each year to do it and now we have not only a superintendent in the Baffin, but a very experienced and able long-term Government of the Northwest Territories public servant in Mr. Methuselah Kunuk, who spent many years working in Municipal and Community Affairs and is well-known in the region, who I believe is very well qualified to do this important job.

The other point I wish to commend the department on is of all the departments, I think Transportation stands out for the method by which it consults communities on its capital works. I am judging, as MLA for Iqaluit. The department spends a very modest $50,000 each year moving rocks around the beach in Iqaluit. I am very grateful that that amount is in the budget for the coming fiscal year. It isn't a lot of money, but I think it is a measure of the approach that this department takes that even to spend this relatively small amount of money, we can count on every year not just a visit from marine facilities experts from the department but they come prepared to discuss options, they come with diagrams, charts, materials in Inuktitut, they come well in advance, they make sure the MLA is involved, and now this process will be supported by the services of a bilingual superintendent in the region.

Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the Minister and his officials on doing it right on two counts: through consultation on projects and, secondly, moving authority out to the regions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to make those comments.

I just have one other issue that I want to flag, and perhaps it will come up in the detailed comments, but I do want to say -- and I think the Minister is aware of my concern -- that although I believe the transfer of the Arctic A airports from MOT to our government is appropriate and timely, I do believe that the Minister has managed to capture what resources are in place. I do have some apprehension about the adequacy of funds for situations like that of Iqaluit where some of the critical services are contracted. I think if we didn't know that the funds were lean and mean in this contract earlier, we now know because the contractor has been forced to give up the contract and it's now being run by a bonding company.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to, for the record, reiterate my concern that the Government of the Northwest Territories is going to have to somehow do a better job at providing adequate monies to attract qualified employees for this important airport because the present contractor certainly didn't have the money to do the job properly. Now I have been informed that this has been taken into account in the negotiations and I have every hope that the situation will improve, however, it is a concern.

The capacity of that airport to continue to provide emergency response is also a concern, and I just want to note this as the one concern I have as we undertake a review of this department today, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Patterson. Those were general comments, but one concern. Does the Minister want to respond to the concern?

Yes, the concern about the transfer of Arctic A airports and nine Arctic A airports is one that I was equally concerned with. We did make two presentations to the Standing Committee on Finance as to the status of that. I suggest here that we've basically concluded the arrangements, we're just working out some of the finer points. I'm reasonably confident that the arrangement that has been made will be able to provide Iqaluit and the other airports across the system with the dollars that are required to provide the service. After all, safety and fast response time is absolutely key to whatever we do, particularly with air safety.

All I can do is assure the Member that we've given it our best effort. We're reasonably happy with the results of the fiscal negotiations and now we're just working out the details of the

transfer. We're optimistic that we can do a joint signing soon and the transfer should take place by July 1st. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Todd. On the other side of the House I have Mr. Whitford and, after him, Mr. Antoine. Mr. Whitford.