Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am not going to take too long here. I just wanted to make a couple of statements and ask a couple of questions. Mr. Chairman, the department has made some commitments and started some work last summer on chipsealing Highway No. 5 and Highway No. 6. My constituents in Fort Resolution were quite happy to see the chipsealing of Highway No. 6. It's good for the environment, good for tourism and good for safety.
However, Mr. Chairman, the Minister and his staff are quite aware that there was some dissatisfaction in the way the commitment was delivered. A very quick and dirty job was conducted last year, resulting in some problems with the chipsealing that the Department of Transportation, through their contracted staff, had to do the maintenance on.
Here is an opportunity where we've committed to the road and infrastructure of the road. By chipsealing it, we are protecting that infrastructure. We are protecting our investment, creating a safe product for the use of our constituents. We know we live in a very booming and economic time. We know the fact that community resources are in demand in the Northwest Territories. Here was an opportunity that was lost last season, but I think the opportunity still exists, as there are a number of kilometres of road that still need to be chipsealed, for the department to work with other government departments and other partners to develop a training program that will see people in training for engineering, for heavy equipment operations, surveying, traditional knowledge in determining where water flows and other environmental aspects of the responsibility get carried out. It's an opportunity that was lost for that short stretch of road that was chipsealed, but there's an opportunity for A Better Tomorrow, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to ask the Minister if he's given it more thought as this is not the first time and guaranteed this won't be the last time I will be bringing up this issue to the Minister of Transportation. Has he given more thought to those concerns that I brought to him and his department on more than one occasion? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.