Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Federal Ministers John Godfrey and Ethel Blondin-Andrew and territorial Minister Michael McLeod jointly announced new federal and territorial funding of $32 million for the municipal rural infrastructure fund and a further $90 million for highway projects, on January 18, 2005.
Mr. Speaker, my understanding of how this will work is that 55 percent of the fund is for non-tax-based communities and 45 percent is for tax-based communities. I applaud the federal and territorial governments on the recent announcement. However, we all know this funding is just the tip of the iceberg. Many communities need infrastructure and resources to address their requirements, especially non-tax-based communities, where we don't have the population to raise taxes or raise our own resource revenue shares.
With regard to the announcements for the funds for new highways, I listened with interest during the Finance Minister's budget address on how this money will be spent.
Mr. Speaker, the allocation of this new funding will, among other projects, include continuation of the completion of Highway No. 3 and the Ingraham Trail, not to mention 10 permanent bridges on the Mackenzie Valley winter road.
Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that once again the Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway has been left out of the vision of one Canada, that would bring people together from the east coast to the west coast and eventually to the Beaufort coast. Since 2003, a total of $63 million has been allocated to Corridors for Canada, without any funds allocated for the Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway. This government should lobby for the connection of the Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway to the Dempster Highway.
Mr. Speaker, my interpretation for the funding, as announced, is the new Highway Strategy should include the Tuktoyaktuk-Inuvik highway. This is new funding available for roads, et cetera. At the appropriate time I will address the question to the Minister of MACA and also the Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause