Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with me is Peter Vician, deputy minister of the Department of Transportation, and Ms. Lynn Cook, director of corporate services for the department, will be along shortly.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome, witness. General comments on the department's main estimates? Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One question from the opening comments by the Minister, he indicates that although O and M was basically what it was last year, it is down a little bit. We have heard in this House several Members, primarily Mr. Lafferty, talk about what he perceives as a lack of maintenance on highways in his riding and indeed in the Yellowknife area. I wonder if this means we are doing less O and M than we were last year.

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, no, this does not indicate that we are doing less maintenance or less careful work. It is simply that last year, there was some money included in the revised main estimates for the proposed trip permit fee and that money is no longer in this budget. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Bell.

Then, given that the money is no longer in the budget, would we assume that the department has answered the call and is stepping up the amount of money they put into highway maintenance this year?

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, we would certainly like to increase the budget for maintenance, but given the limitations on the budget, there is no increase this year in maintenance of highways.

General comments on the Department of Transportation? Detail? We are on page 10-9, corporate services, operations expense, total operations expense, $7,579,000.

Page 10-11, airports, operations expense, total operations expense, $20,279,000.

Page 10-15, highways, operations expense, total operations expense, $35,060,000.

Mr. McLeod.

Under highways, I would like to ask the Minister if he could tell us what new positions are created at any of the highway camps across the North?

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Does the committee agree we go back to highways?

Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chairman, there are two new positions in the North and South Slave regions, project officers. The additional project planning and implementation requirements require these positions, one in each region.

As well, in the North Slave region, additional traffic on Highways No. 3 and No. 4, due to resource development activity, have resulted in an increased service requirement. Due to the increased time and attention to plan and manage these requirements, there is a need for a highway maintenance supervisor position in the North Slave region. Thank you.

Mr. McLeod.

I do not hear any mention of mechanics. Is there any intention of putting new positions in some of the communities for mechanics?

The Minister of Transportation.