Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk of something that is a rather urgent matter for my constituents. Earlier this week, I made a statement regarding the accident involving a tractor trailer on Highway No. 3 between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife.

The results of the accident were two-fold: injuries to a person and damage to the environment. Although the driver was discharged from the hospital with minor injuries, the full impact of the environmental damages as a result of the spillage of approximately 20,000 litres of diesel fuel will not be known until the summer.

On Wednesday, the Minister of Transportation took my question about the cause of the accident as notice, stating that the issue is still under police investigation.

But yesterday, Mr. Speaker, one day after the accident, the Minister announced a change in the speed limit for trucks on the unconstructed portion of Highway No. 3 from 90 kilometres per hour to 70 kilometres per hour.

The timing of these two events is very curious, Mr. Speaker. I am very concerned about what his statement implies about the dangerous condition of the highway. As the Minister admitted himself in his statement, the lowering of the speed limit was necessary for two reasons; one, to reduce the wear and tear on the road and two, to give motorists a greater sense of confidence that they can travel the highway safely.

To put it another way, Mr. Speaker, I believe what the Minister is saying is that the perfect condition of Highway No. 3 cannot handle the current traffic load of the road. At the same time, the motorists do not have a sense of confidence that they can complete the journey safely.

It is clear the huge volume of trucks travelling to the mine sites is taking a toll on the road. The road cannot take the wear and tear, and this is dangerous to the public. He had no choice but to reduce the speed limit for the trucks, Mr. Speaker. But this does not solve the problem. This can only be a short-term emergency measure. The current plan for the reconstruction of the road is more than 10 years. We surely cannot continue this way for 10 years or more.

The resource industry is already hampered by the short winter road season. The increasing fuel prices are adding to the cost of doing business. Decreased speed limit is one more obstacle because this will mean a delay in the transportation of supplies to the mine site. In the end, we all pay.

But there is a more important flaw in the Minister's measure, Mr. Speaker. And it has to do with the safety of the people travelling on the road. I am concerned that having two separate speed limits...