Mr. Speaker,

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that Bill 20, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2000-2001, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2001. Thank you.

Thank you. We have a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the principle of the bill. Question has been called. All those in favour? Thank you. All those opposed? Thank you. The motion is carried. Bill 20 has had second reading and is now moved into committee of the whole.

Item 18, second reading of bills. Item 19, consideration in committee of the whole of bills and other matters: Bill 19, Bill 20, Committee Reports 5-14, 6-14, 7-14, with Mr. Delorey in the Chair.

Before we go into committee of the whole, by the authority given to the Speaker by Motion 4-14(3), the House is resolved into committee of the whole to sit beyond the time of adjournment until the committee is prepared to report. Mr. Delorey in the Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to recommend that the committee consider Bill 19 and Committee Reports 5, 6 and 7 concurrently, specifically to continue detailed consideration of the Department of Transportation, followed by Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. With that, we will take a 15 minute break and we will be back.

--Break

I will call the committee back to order. We are reviewing the Department of Transportation with Minister Steen. Would the Minister like to call in any witnesses?

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Does the committee agree?

Sergeant-at-Arms, bring the witnesses in, please. Mr. Minister, for the record, could you introduce your witnesses, please?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on my left is the deputy minister of the Department of Transportation, Peter Vician. On my right is Masood Hassan, director of transportation and planning.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. General comments. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I asked a question to the Minister in the House with regard to doing an evaluation about the possibility of having a bridge constructed across the Peel River. The Minister said he would look into it and get back to me. So I would like to ask the Minister has he had an opportunity to look into the possibility of doing a feasibility study to see what the cost of a permanent bridge across the Peel River would be?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we would be prepared to respond to this when we reach the section dealing with highways.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Krutko, are you prepared to wait until we get to the appropriate section in detail? Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Chairman, with regard to general comments, this government is doing tons of studies, strategies, highway strategies, we have looked at building bridges up the Mackenzie Valley, permanent bridges across creeks. So I think this is not something that is new. We have done evaluations in the past and I think under general comments, it is not too...to ask general questions to this department on things which are in the domain or in the responsibility of this department. This is not a new subject. This has been raised over the last number of years. Yet we hear this government talking about what the cost factor is. One time I heard it was going to cost $30 million and the next thing we hear it is going to cost $60 million to build a bridge across the Mackenzie.

Mr. Speaker, we are spending a lot of money in this budget with regard to the non-renewable resource sector, but there is very little money for improving road linkages to our communities and allowing the residents of the Northwest Territories to have better transportation links so we can travel without having to deal with ice crossings or ferry closures. I find it improper for the Minister to say he cannot answer this question until he is not responsible for building bridges or transportation. I am not sure who I ask this question to. Again, have they considered looking at doing an evaluation of these different bridges? I know Mr. McLeod has raised this question in the House about the evaluation by this government. I would like to know if the Minister will be answering that question.

Mr. Krutko, the Minister has agreed to answer that question when we come to the appropriate section on the highway section. We are on general comments, so if you could keep your comments general and ask specific questions when we come to detail. Mr. Krutko.

This particular bridge is not part of the capital under that section. That is why I am asking the question now because it is not in that part of the chapter. I think it is important that we ask these questions now for information, so when we do come to that area, we are able to have the information we want to ask those questions.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. In order to try to bring some order to this, there have been many occasions to raise these questions in the standing committee and there will be, under the highways section. Whether this one is mentioned or not...I will give an opportunity to the Minister to answer, if he would like to address this.

Mr. Chairman, we are not trying to avoid the question. All we are trying to do is direct the question to the activity. I believe that the Member's concerns...he has referenced winter roads. He has referenced bridges and he has referenced access roads. They are all included in certain activities and we would be happy to respond to the Member's questions at that time.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. Mr. Krutko.

Mr. Chairman, I am not too sure what the purpose is of having general comments if we cannot make comments on a particular department. If you are going to stifle us from asking those questions, why have it on the agenda? I would like to ask the Minster what is his department doing to ensure that the communities that are presently not on the permanent road systems have an opportunity to have permanent linkages to their communities, such as permanent highways to Aklavik, Wha Ti, Snare Lakes and all the other communities that are out there? That is my general comment.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I would just like to state, Mr. Krutko, that we are here for general comments. The Minister's statement is well taken, that there are areas coming up within the next few pages that deals specifically with...your last question, Mr. Krutko, was more general. I would allow the Minister to go ahead and make comments on his last question. Mr. Steen.