Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if there are lots out on Ingraham Trail that are leased for a permanent site or permanent residence, then they would be eligible for the MDAP. The concern is that it has to be the principal residence of the individual, and the lot has to be leased on the basis of, a full lease, not as a cottage or a seasonal use lease. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again the issue is one of the conditions for MDAP is that it would go to purchase or to build your principal residence as well as the issue on the Ingraham Trail is that the lot they are on has to be on titled land, I think that is the proper term, that the land it is going on or the existing facility, the house that is out there, is on titled land specifically for the purposes of permanent residences. Those are a number of the conditions that would have to be met before MDAP could apply. If there are people out there, and we know people do live out on Ingraham Trail, but if it is not on titled land, then they still do not qualify for the MDAP.

Mr. Speaker, I will try to get this correct for the Member. The issue is that the lease or the titled land would have to be one of a principal residence or not indicated as being for seasonal or recreational use. It has to be their permanent area that they have the permission of the governments, whether it is the federal government or the territorial government, depending on which area, the Commissioner's land, for example, falls under, it has to be approved for the use of a full-time occupancy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the meeting the Member referenced actually was a meeting set up by the Liberal Caucus, and it was to do with a plan the federal government has whereby they would direct money in a new budget, next year's budget, toward transportation infrastructure, and highways in particular. The proposal at this point in time is just a proposal, the federal government would put in $3.5 billion over five years into highway infrastructure, in particular, national highways infrastructure. The territorial government, at this point in time, has 535 kilometres of highway that would be considered as part of the national highways infrastructure.

The thought, Mr. Speaker, is that over five years $700 million a year would be put in by the federal government towards national highway improvements. The plan is, of course, that provincial, territorial and industry would meet that money. What the ratio would be is still up in the air, but we would definitely have to come up with our share of whatever the ratio would be. It could be 2/1 or it could be 50/50, but we would definitely have to come up with our share to meet the federal contribution. We are hoping the formula will be based on our portion of the national highway system, in other words, roughly 2 percent of that funding would be available to the territories. That would work out to approximately $80 million over five years, Mr. Speaker, however, we would have to find our share to meet that in the budget, whether it is 50/50 or 2/1. There was another meeting scheduled for later this week in Ottawa to further discuss and arrive at some decision on exactly what the ratio would be. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister tell us, it is restricted to certain highways within the territories and the Minister referred to the mileage. If I understand correctly, perhaps the Minister could confirm this, it would apply to Highways 1, 3, and 2. Is that correct? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the particular portion of the highway this would apply to would be the highway from the Alberta border to Yellowknife and then a portion of the highway, I believe, into Hay River. That is what qualifies as a national highway. In there, as well as planned capital funding of our own towards the project, the federal funding would be used to finalize and possibly accelerate construction on Highway 3 between here and Fort Rae. I doubt if the acceleration would be any faster than five years because that is what the funding is based on, a five year program. We would still have to find our share of capital funding. The other portion of the highway funding that we would get from the federal government could be applied towards putting a bridge in place at Fort Providence. The estimated cost of that bridge right now is $60 million. Again, it depends on whether the funding is, in fact, put in place by the federal government in the next budget.

Previous to this the federal government had a program called Municipal Funding National, this time they have a program called Transportation Infrastructure, so that is the idea the federal government has at this time. Encouragement from the provinces and territories is for the federal government to go forward with this program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is certainly encouraging that there is a possibility for this funding and certainly, while I believe there is a need to fast- track it even beyond the five years, at least, it would be welcome news even if it was five years. Perhaps the Minister could tell me what is the next stage of the Minister's process, along with his counterparts on a national basis? He mentioned they were meeting next week, I believe, or later this week, perhaps the Minister could clarify that for me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this point in time, there was a meeting planned for this coming Friday in Ottawa, where the provincial and territorial Ministers and Mr. Collenette, the federal Minister, would be at the particular meeting and we would hopefully arrive at some kind of conclusion or agreement on formula funding. I understand now that there is a possibility this meeting may be postponed, so I cannot say at this point in time when the next meeting will go forward, but we hope that everything will be in place so that the federal government's plan for their federal budget, presumably over the summer, plans would be made before then to give direction to the federal government as to have it included in the federal budget for next year. Thank you.