Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for the answer, Mr. Minister. Once again, it has been very clear from Paulatuk that the community freezers that they presently have are very important to them. When I was in Paulatuk we did discuss about the chest freezers, as you mentioned, but at the present time they find the community freezer a vital component of their daily lives. It is important for them to utilize a facility like that. Once again, could the Minister at least guarantee funds for this season for them to continue using that community freezer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In many cases community freezers were not being well utilized anymore, and I know that the Member knows his riding well, and the Member's insistence that Paulatuk residents do need this piece of infrastructure is one that I am listening to, but, Mr. Speaker, we think there are more cost effective options. We are truly concerned that because of the age of this piece of infrastructure that if it continues to operate in the manner it's operating, there could be a situation where the power goes down, members of the community are not aware, food spoilage happens, and the community could get very, very sick. That is certainly not something we want to see. We would encourage the community to look at chest freezers. Maybe what I would propose, if it would be acceptable to the Member, is that I come to his riding and sit down with the leadership of the community, and we discuss the concerns that we have in terms of the health risks of operating this piece of infrastructure, and talk about the actual O and M cost going forward to keep this aging piece of infrastructure running. I think it is something like $17,000 a month in the summer to run the freezer. I think there are more cost-effective options. So I would make that offer to the Member. Thank you.

Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are planning to make a trip to my riding of Paulatuk, Holman and Sachs next month. You are more than welcome to come along with us, your invitation is always open. So you will hear verbally, firsthand exactly what the people of Paulatuk want with regard to the community freezer. It is a situation right now where, like I said in my Member's statement, the weather is getting very warm right now, the geese are flying, they just recently got caribou that came by, and they are concerned about the storage of their wild meat. So at this present time, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister guarantee the funds to be available to maintain at least for the 2004-2005 season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that it is soon getting warm. I think the community has been in discussions with our department for some time. This is not something that was sprung on the community, and I do believe that if the community made the decision to run the piece of infrastructure and operate the freezer as a stopgap measure they could do so, and we can sit down then when I go up there to discuss going forward, how we deal with it, and deal with this season as well. I would be prepared to do that when I visit the community. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to again ask the Minister responsible for the Deh Cho Bridge project, Mr. Handley, some questions. I draw his attention to two recent bridge projects in the territory that have been marred by cost overruns and a lack of pre-engineering. Willow Creek was supposed to cost $4.5 million, and ended up over $7 million. The river between Two Mountains Bridge was crushed by ice. No ice floe study was done prior to this bridge being put in. Is the Premier aware of these two bridge projects, and what will he do to ensure that these problems won't happen with the Deh Cho Bridge project?

Mr. Premier, two questions.

Mr. Speaker, I'm generally aware of those two projects, two different situations. The Willow Creek Bridge goes back a number of years. There were some design problems with it. I expect that the Department of Transportation has learned from that. In terms of the other bridge where ice removed, it was a much smaller bridge but, again, one that we have concerns about, the inconsistent flow of water and ice in those small streams in that area. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge is a totally different kind of structure. It is a much larger bridge. It is one that the design is a very serious issue, and one that I assure the Member that we'll be as thorough as we possibly can in reviewing the design that is put forward by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I mentioned this earlier, there hasn't been an ice floe study on the mass and the volume during spring break up, and the impact that might have on the piers that are going to connect the bridge from one side of the river to the other. I'd like to also ask the Premier and mention this to him that there needs to be an incentive for the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation to not incur cost overruns in this project. This has to be in the agreement. The GNWT should not assume all the risk, and currently, under the agreement that I have seen here, we are assuming all the risk, Mr. Speaker. Can we get this in the agreement that the GNWT does not assume all the risk in this project? Thank you.

Mr. Premier, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, if you look at the agreement you will find that the GNWT's contribution to the bridge when it is built is going to be the cost of operating the ferry, the cost of building and maintaining that ice bridge. Beyond that the costs for the bridge will be recouped through a toll. So whatever the price is, the GNWT is not assuming additional risk. The only risk we would assume would be if for some reason the bridge was never built. Then we have been guaranteeing loans to enable the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation to continue on with their planning and environmental assessment for the proposed bridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think that the GNWT does assume the risk in this because if the bridge is put in at a cost of $80 million, $90 million or $100 million, how are we possibly going to recoup that through toll revenues? It is a risk that the GNWT is going to have, and that is why I feel strongly that the Premier has to get in this agreement a firm price, and the cost overruns cannot be allowed to happen. I've seen it firsthand when I was a city councillor, and I've also seen it during the life of this last government with the jail. We have to get a firm price, and we can't allow it to snowball. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We certainly won't make the mistakes those city councillors made on that project.

But, Mr. Speaker, the Bridge Corporation are using the time that is available to them now to do more testing on the design of the bridge. They have made some changes to the design as a result of testing. They will be issuing a tender for the project, and we will take every step possible to ensure that there are no cost overruns. Mr. Speaker, on this size of project, that is a substantial challenge for the designers to be able to ever come up with a project that is going to be right on with no change orders. Mr. Speaker, the latest information that we have from the Bridge Corporation is that they are still looking at a $55 million to $60 million bridge. We are waiting, as I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, for an update on that cost estimate, and I would certainly be glad to share that with the Members as soon as we receive it in the next two or three weeks. Thank you.

Mr. Ramsay, you did have your final supplementary. So I have put you back on the list, and I will move to the next Member. Item 6, oral questions. Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today, Mr. Speaker, is regarding the Department of Health and Social Services in the Sahtu. In light of the recent initiative to include community wellness and mental health workers into the government system, I had a call from a member from the Sahtu about the reclassification of the mental health worker in my community, and they wanted to know why, Mr. Minister, I heard she had to reapply for a position that she held for a long time.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.