Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. It is in regard to my opening statement. Mr. Speaker, I made reference to the savings in regard to the wear and tear of the roads in the Northwest Territories, especially it will mean a reduction of cost if we consider implementing calcium product on all our roads because there will be less blading to maintain the roads. The cost of gravel will come down because you need less usage of gravel, and also, the question about public safety. I would like to ask the Minister in regard to the percentages that I mentioned, that some 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is currently calciumed, yet 54 percent of the Liard Highway is calciumed and almost 100 percent of the road past Prelude Lake on the Ingraham Trail is calciumed. The same thing applies to Fort Resolution and Fort Smith. What is the department doing to improve those percentages so that we do consider the cost savings to this government by implementing the calcium project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the Member brought the same topic up a few days ago in the House and I responded at that time that the department was considering increasing the amount of calcium that would be applied to Highway 8, the Dempster. I have had meetings with the department since then, and what the department has agreed to do is, we are hoping to sit down with the stakeholders of the Mackenzie Delta area, in particular users of the Dempster, and possibly get some recommendations from them as to what they would think about the possibility of the department reducing some of our capital expenditures on some of our existing projects and, in return, we would increase the amount of calcium. We would have to get some input and guidance from the users as to exactly where they would like to see the calcium applied. Hopefully, after the department has had this meeting, we could then make a decision as to where we would consider increasing the amount of calcium on Highway 8. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for considering and approving the calcium budget, but I do not support the idea of taking away from capital projects to do this. Mr. Speaker, I mentioned that 13 percent of the Dempster Highway is presently calcium, yet we have 100 percent of a road to nowhere, which is the Prelude Lake portion from Prelude to the end of Tibbitt Lake, which basically does not serve anything. It is presently being 100 percent calciumed by this government. Will the Minister consider looking at some of those dollars coming out of that section of the road which basically is being calciumed at 100 percent, yet the Dempster is only being calciumed at 13 percent?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department will consider anything that will help to improve the safety on the highways. In the opinion of the department, if calcium is not necessary on Highway 4, well then we will reduce it on Highway 4 and apply it to Highway 8, but it would depend on the uses of the highway, on the amount of traffic as well as costs involved. I am sure it is much cheaper to apply calcium to Highway 4 than it is to Highway 8, taking into consideration the distance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, has the Minister or his department looked at the possibility of what the savings to this government will be by implementing a calcium project? He mentioned the costs of Highway 4 and the costs of Highway 8. The costs to maintain Highway 8 is definitely going to be a higher cost because of where it is located, just above the arctic circle and basically it is one of the most northern highways in North America. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we have to realize that the cost of maintaining this road and the cost of gravel is very high to maintain this road. If we could bring down the cost of the gravel by improving the maintenance of that road, which means less blading, gravel, and dollars to put into that road system, there will be a savings to this government. Has this department considered looking at the savings to this government by putting forth a calcium project?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has indeed been considering savings. The department is hoping to be able to reinvest the savings back into more calcium because there is indeed a savings as far as maintenance is concerned, operations and maintenance costs come down, everything comes down. Again, as a matter of getting the calcium to the site. It is expensive to bring calcium all the way to the Beaufort. In particular, we do not have a calcium source any closer than the southern part of the territories. All these factors are taken into consideration. The department is definitely aware of the savings involved and are definitely aware the safety factors are improved, less dust conditions. We do take all of the factors into consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it possible for the Minister of Transportation and his department to table a report in this House to show us exactly the savings to this government so that we can see exactly where we can save money in regards to the expenditures of this government and also improving our transportation system in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with the Department of Transportation, anything is possible.

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We will make an effort to table this information for the Members and we will specifically provide it to the Members if it will help the department to come up with more revenue to do the job, well, we will table anything. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, there are negotiations to develop a new Collective agreement between the employees and the management of the Power Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, it is the Union of Northern Workers and in Nunavut it is the Nunavut Union of Northern Workers.