In his opening remarks at the outset of the hearing, the chair, being myself, advised the public that the proposed bills are government initiatives and that it was the committee's responsibility to hear the views and concerns of residents of the Northwest Territories. I added that the committee is not part of Cabinet. Finally, I stated that after careful consideration, the committee would report the public's concerns back to their colleagues in the House by way of this report.

The committee heard many concerns from stakeholders and other members of the public arising from the review of Bills 9 and 10. A comprehensive list of these concerns are listed by community in appendix 1 of this report. The committee also heard and received many alternatives to the proposed Highway Investment Strategy from the public. These alternatives or options are addressed later in the report and are listed by community in appendix 2.

The overwhelming majority of public opinion centred upon the following issues: