Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Specifically in terms of how we approach highway maintenance throughout the system and the priority for that, our local foremen are in direct consultation with the communities that they are generally responsible for in the general area and looking for suggestions. Probably more importantly is the issue that up to 60 percent of our highway maintenance system is operated by northern contractors. We obtain a great deal of feedback and input from our Northern industry in terms of better solutions, better approaches of how to do day-to-day and year-by-year maintenance practices. We are continually trying to identify new approaches and those approaches are brought into our routine operations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To the first point, as the Minister indicated, our hopes are that the federal government funding that was announced in the February 28th budget, specifically for highway infrastructure on the national highway system, will provide some additional funding.

At this point, we are pursuing the issue with the federal government. There are meetings being held this week by teleconference. I understand our finance officials from the Department of Finance are meeting with the treasury board next week to discuss that, with the hope of establishing a principal, which has been communicated previously by Ministers of Finance, Ministers of Transportation, to set a minimum criteria of funding for smaller jurisdictions across the country.

With that, we hope the funding level would be much more relevant to implementation rather than a small amount that really does not mean anything in this type of a highway job, to a level in the order of a half million at least, that could make this project change in terms of the time it would take to complete. Otherwise, it becomes somewhat ineffective in terms of delivering. Adding a few dollars is not going to finish this job any sooner because of the scale of the project.

With regard to the second question, in terms of tendering practices used by the department, the department, through its industry discussions, identified the best approach of using design-build contracts for very large scale projects, especially those that are complicated by the nature of construction such as we have here between Rae and Yellowknife.

We do that to basically get the best contract options available from the industry. One contractor may identify a cheaper solution through a design approach. That is what we found in our last round when we did this type of a tender.

The tendering timetable at this point is underway. Contract requests for expressions of interest proceeded in February and have already closed. Three proponents were identified. Subject to approval of the interim appropriation, the next stage would be initiated, which is the final design-build proposal submissions by those three pre-qualified contractors. Those are expected to be submitted by the second week of June, with a contract awarded by late June, early July. Contracting to commence probably by mid-summer.

As this is a multi-year project, the contract work would proceed over the period of summer, winter and into the next season. Therefore, in terms of scheduling, it will arrive at the same completion date regardless of what approach was taken. We are going to see the best in terms of savings by having contractors provide their best approach to finishing the work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I notice that going through the communities, the highways department goes right into town, does maintenance, sanding, et cetera. They are spending a lot of time in the communities, especially Yellowknife. They have to go right through the municipality, Giant Mine, Yellowknife Motors...I am just wondering where you put it in the budget? Can you tell me where all of the work you are doing for the municipalities is in the budget?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The highway maintenance activity only applies to the designated public highway system, as defined under the Public Highways Act and its regulations. No maintenance occurs on municipal highways or roads.

It happens to be that in many of our communities, the highway system extends itself to within the boundaries of the municipality, but they are still designated as public highways. Each case has a different reason, the primary reason being those were sections of highway transferred from the federal government to the responsibility of the territorial government through the two specific transfers.

The item for maintenance of those activities is included within the operations and maintenance appropriation for the highways activity within the interim appropriation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On the same line, is the highway department going to look at turning over the maintenance and operations on those roads within municipalities, so they can concentrate on the highways themselves? They are spending three hours sanding the roads around Yellowknife, Giant, and along the Ingraham Trail, while Highway No. 3 has not been plowed and there is no equipment on that road.

I came in this morning, and there was no equipment heading out that way. They were all heading the other way. I am just wondering if they quit wasting time within the municipalities, then maybe the highways would be a lot safer.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In terms of devolving responsibility for some sections of the public highway system to municipalities, the discussion has been broached by the department with some communities in the Territories. It continues to be an issue of discussion, and will continue to be in the future with municipalities that are willing to take on the care and custody of sections of highway in the Northwest Territories.

As far as the dedication of resources, those resources are deployed each morning by our highway foremen at the various camps in the system, both contract camps and private camps. They attempt to address where they think the highest priority was for that given morning. Obviously, they try to wrap things up as quickly as they can. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Maybe the highways department might look at putting Highway No. 3 maintenance out for tender so it could be well-maintained. Right now, since January, I have been complaining about the highway and it has only been plowed three times.

There is a lot of money going to operations and maintenance. I just want to know where the money is going because I do not see it going on that highway. So if you can tell me where the money is going, I will be happy and I can tell my people, oh, the money is being spent right. What are you doing with the money you say you have for operations and maintenance? Thank you.