Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before I start, I would like to thank the Premier for offering the opportunity to travel with him to Ottawa to meet the federal Ministers and talk about our infrastructure in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that we leave a living legacy from the Northwest Territories, the activities that are taking place today in regard to the oil and gas, talk about a pipeline, the mining sector in regard to the diamond developments that are taking place, but most importantly, Mr. Speaker, I think, as Northerners, we want to leave something behind by way of our infrastructure, which will long outlive the developments of oil and gas and mineral developments well into the future.
Mr. Speaker, our infrastructure is key. We have the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. We have the winter road systems. We have bridges and the demand for reconstruction on our highway systems, which are currently under great pressure with all the developments that are happening. It is important, Mr. Speaker, that we do develop that infrastructure by way of resources that are expended in this area.
Mr. Speaker, at the present time, the options or outlooks that we are receiving is that the Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline could add as much as $57 billion into the Canadian gross domestic product and earn the federal government up to $24 billion in revenues and taxes and royalties. Mr. Speaker, all we are asking for from the federal government is to reinvest some of those dollars that will be flowing to the south from the north into infrastructure in the North.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we establish an economic program that gives us long-term stability in our economy so that we can ensure that the infrastructure for the residents of the North is not beaten up to a point where it is costing this government more to maintain and upgrade our systems so that we can improve the lives of Northerners, but also improve the infrastructure for the rest of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, it is key that the aboriginal participation...benefits linked to improving our infrastructure is there and improving the quality of lives of the residents for the long-term is crucial.
Also, ensuring our winter road systems are upgraded to the point where we eventually have year-round access to our isolated communities by roads of some sort or another.