Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about the $50 million country club that is being built where you can go for real top of the line of services with regard to programs and services, compared to what the rest of the Northwest Territories residents receive.
Mr. Speaker, what I am really talking about is the $50 million fiasco that we find ourselves in with regard to the North Slave correction facility. Where this facility was projected to cost $35 million, as of December last year the estimate was $40 million and now we find in August, after cancellation of the BIP process, that a tender was received in which this government, on August 6th, approved a $8.4 million budget increase, taking this mega-project to $50 million.
Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to stand here and tell my constituents, sorry we do not have any money, we cannot deliver programs and services and we cannot help you with regard to the social problems we face in our communities. Yet, Mr. Speaker, knowing the financial restraints we are under as a government, we can find room to approve $8.4 million knowing that we have a major deficit that we have to face and deal with.
Mr. Speaker, I for one feel that we should either submit that the Auditor General to do a thorough review of how this project has been handled and exactly are these expenditures for dollar for value based on the amount that has been spent and the size of this facility and the programs and services that can be accessed elsewhere? At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Justice questions on this matter.
-- Applause