Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I will take that question as notice, because there are assets in different categories of value. I am not sure we would have to add the whole thing. I will take it as notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. When a Minister takes it as notice, it is just notice. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is addressed to the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, regarding the legislation governing the Public Utilities Board, which is currently under review for revision and updating. I would like the Minister to update this House as to the status of that review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, Mr. Allen.

Thank you, Mr. Allen. The Minister has taken the question as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Transportation regarding the limited amount of dollars we have to maintain our infrastructure. As we heard in the House, some $6 million a year is spent to maintain Highway No. 3.

Yet, they get $2 million a year for the widening project, which has been spread out for some ten years, to upgrade the Dempster Highway. They get $700,000 dollars to maintain the winter roads in the Mackenzie Delta.

Mr. Speaker, we have some 2100 square miles of hard top roads. We also have some 1600 square miles of winter roads. I would like to get some assurances from this government for all of the communities outside of Yellowknife who are not part of Highway No. 3 that the dollars that are in that department will continue to be there to maintain our roads. They will continue to be there to keep the roads safe and avoid the amount of potholes, dust and the accidents on our highways.

I would like to ask the Minister what kinds of assurances can his department give the smaller communities outside of Yellowknife there will be money available for them to continue to maintain roads other than Highway No. 3?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this government has put forward a highways strategy plan. It is still being reviewed. It still has to be considered and accepted by this new government. Until it is, there are no major changes planned for our capital and our O and M expenditures. That is all I can say. Whatever you have had as an outline of your O and M or capital in the past, the Department of Transportation has made no major changes to them. We would have to assume direction from this House if we want to make changes. That is the best response I can give, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we have not implemented or maintained the existing road system. There are some major problems. Roads slide due to permafrost. There is waving of the roads due to improper maintenance. I have seen it first hand in the highways south of Enterprise and the Liard highway towards Fort Liard. There is a major problem there, especially where you have soft spots that could cause major accidents.

I believe the biggest problem we have is the amount of traffic we see, especially on the Liard highway and the winter roads towards Fort Norman. Will the Minister commit to doing a review to see what the costs of those impacts are, which were unforeseen in the last couple of years?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department has ongoing studies on the impact of traffic on our existing systems. This includes impact from industries, such as oil and gas and mining. We do ongoing studies in relation to what we need for O and M, in relation to what we need for capital just to maintain our existing transportation infrastructure. In response, Mr. Speaker, we have ongoing studies. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Steen. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know if the Minister's Department has contingency plans for a major washout because of a flood? Or due to the impacts of these major developments, especially in the Fort Liard area and now in the Beaufort Sea? We are going to see some major impacts on our highways, especially where this is gravel.

Does the Minister have a contingency plan or funds available on the side, in case of emergencies or some major projects, to upgrade these highway systems?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take the question as notice so I can properly respond to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Steen. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. I shall direct your question to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct that the renewable resource industries are extremely important. We have good forestry potential in the south part of the Mackenzie Valley, and in some of the other areas. Additionally, the fisheries on Great Slave Lake are extremely important. We have a commercial fishery running out of Hay River. There are other areas, such as the manufacturing industry, which is coming to the fore here in the Territories. We need to replace imports and manufacture more products here in the North.

All of those have equal importance when it comes to the need to address support and funding. Some of this may be done through the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, such as the forestry industry. I am not familiar with what programs they may have available. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.

I am sorry, Mr. Nitah. The initial question was for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. The Premier can, if he chooses to, answer the question. The initial question was directed to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. Please continue with your question, Mr. Nitah.