Merci, Madam Ministre. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Transportation. The Government of the Northwest Territories is planning to apply user fees to fund major highway improvements. How much additional funding does the government expect to raise? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Minister Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have identified roughly $15 million a year based on 1999 traffic volumes and five cents per kilometre.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you. I would like to ask the Minister what proportion of this will come from Yellowknife highway traffic? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Minister Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the figure I have been given is that roughly two-thirds, or 66 percent, is forecast to come from mining activity in the North Slave Geological Province, and as a result down Highway No. 3 and Highway No. 4, so a fair bit of the revenue will be coming from the traffic coming into Yellowknife itself.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you. I would also like to ask the Minister, how much capital does the government expect to spend on the Yellowknife highway over the next five years?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I take it that the Yellowknife highway that the Member means is Highway No. 3. We plan to finish the portion between here and Rae-Edzo that is not finished at this time. We plan to finish that over a four-year period at an estimated expenditure of $60 million. We plan to make a further $25 million expenditure on Highway No. 4. Thank you.

Merci, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that we are looking at funds to come from commercial users rather than from the federal government and our own coffers, I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider, during a new round of consultation, to set the priorities for expenditures. I am sure that some questions should be asked of the commercial users if they will accept a delay on construction of Highway No. 3 in light of additional spending in support of a bridge? Thank you.

Mr. McLeod, could I ask you to repeat the question?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am asking the Minister if he would consider a new round of consultation with the commercial users of the highway system in order to set priorities.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the Member's concerns will be addressed through the toll charging legislation and the transportation legislation. In the normal process, once we table the legislation and first and second readings are done, it goes to the committees. The committees would be holding their hearings, and at that point, there is ample opportunity for public input.

Then it comes back to us for the approval of this House. Not only are we as a department going out for input from the trucking and mining industries, but the committees will also be collecting input. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question will be directed to the Deputy Premier of the Northwest Territories. In light of the information that we are passing on, public information, a bill of dollar expenditures here, is it not in the public interest to make public increases in fees that will affect their daily lives? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will take that question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Premier. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.