Thank you. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly the objective of this department's very long range plan is to eventually do something more with the existing highway system that we have, to try to get it into better shape. The long- term plan is for doing reconstruction of the highway systems and eventually putting some hardtop and chip sealing and maybe even paving. We are doing this work between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife as a highway strategy. That is where our efforts are, into upgrading the highway system there, straighten it out and eventually paving it all the way to Yellowknife. That is a very long range plan, like 10 to 12 years.

On the other parts of the highway, like the honourable Member's constituency, Thebacha, Highway 5 runs over there and I believe he mentioned there are some paved roads there. I think 122 kilometres of road in that area is paved. When I say paved, I mean that 40 kilometres is pavement. About 80 or so kilometres is chip seal. There is a remaining 140 or 144 kilometres of highway on that road that is gravel surface and is treated dust control. Towards the junction of Highway 3 and Highway 1, towards Simpson, there is a substantial amount of highway there that is still gravel. Highway 7 down from Highway 1, from the BC border up to Highway 1 is another section that is gravel. Up in the Dempster, we have gravel sections. We have a lot of areas in the north where there are gravel sections that should be looked at. The department is looking at a long range plan on this, and it does not fall currently within this coming five year capital plan. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes there is a savings in the operations and maintenance side if we do chip seal the highway system. Chip sealing the highway system is a substantial capital investment. This is reconstruction of the existing highway system and getting it chip sealed. I just wanted to maybe add, usually the chip sealing is the latter part of the reconstruction of the highway, so there is a substantial up front cost to chip sealing a highway system. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the existing highway system on Highway 5, Highway 1 into Fort Simpson, I am told by the department, is constructed in a very sound manner. The manner in which the base is very solid and I have also been told by certain engineers that not very much would be required to get the surface into good enough condition so we could chip seal certain areas, if we maintained the existing width. As you know, the highway system between Edzo and the border, when it was reconstructed, they added some more width to the road, therefore, it required more culvert work and so forth. I am told in certain sectors that if we just keep the width of the road and chip seal it with some minimum amount of work to get it in shape to chip seal, I think it could work and I think it would not require that much capital to get it to that state. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the economic strategy, which the transportation strategy is a component of, is in the early stages of being developed. Once we get more data, more information together, we would have an indication where to go with this. Development of our infrastructure to eventually have development of the economy is key in the overall big picture. Certainly that has to be taken into consideration. I cannot commit right now to say yes, we will pour every single dollar we find into this process to transportation, but certainly it will be a big factor. Thank you.

Than you. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Henry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister responsible for Department of Finance, Mr. Todd. Yesterday, I made a statement in this House regarding the need to implement an electronic payment system of direct deposits for northern businesses that are providing services to this government. I had hoped to ask my questions yesterday regarding this issue, but we ran out of time, Mr. Speaker. This government is trying to foster, and it is a priority, to develop northern businesses by supplying grants and loans. It seems to me that the minor expense in creating and producing a system that would accommodate direct deposits to businesses providing service to the government, would add to this. On April 1, 1999 many small northern businesses may experience a period of confusion as to where their invoices or where their payments may be received. The direct deposit system could link the two new governments and the businesses that are providing services to them. By adopting an efficient direct deposit system, we would not only benefit northern businesses, but we would also facilitate the transition between businesses and the two new governments.

The question to the Minister of Finance is, some departments are presently using a direct deposit system for services they are purchasing from the private sector. I would hope the Minister of Finance would agree a direct deposit system of payment would be beneficial to northern businesses. I would like to ask the Minister if he would be prepared to pursue this implementation as soon as possible, certainly prior to division? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.