Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the study was done for the use of the communities and there is some new monies included in this year's budget to do additional work in terms of studying what would be the appropriate dust suppression to use. However, to the actual cost of what the community may decide to move forward on, whether it's chipsealing of the whole community or

calcium, that would be the community's responsibility, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I don't have a problem with the communities assuming control of their municipal and community affairs, but is the government going to provide any money? Mr. Minister, if you could just tell me straightforward, is the government going to flag money to these communities to say okay, here's $100,000 to address your dust control issues? Is that in the works, or is this coming out of these Northern Strategy dollars, which is for capacity building or for recreation or for youth development, not dust control? That wasn't included in the Northern Strategy, as far as I know. How are these communities going to address these dust issues without money? Is the government going to provide that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we provided a number of different sources of money to the community that we are moving in a process where the communities will make their own decisions, and that includes dust control. We've provided money through the Northern Strategy to each community. We've included a new formula for capital. There is also gas tax that will start flowing to the communities. All these new dollars available allows the community to decide how they want to deal with dust control. We are not going to create another budget for dust control. We have some resources that we've allocated for this year to do further analysis to help the communities to decide where they want to go and what would be appropriate. Further than that, the communities are going to have to start spending their own money. We have turned over all the pots of money to the communities for them to decide, to make their own decisions. So that's where they'll have to get it from, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, I don't think we really have to study the dust issue to death here because, you know, the EBA report on dust control is very well done, as far as I'm concerned. But again, these Northern Strategy dollars, these gas tax dollars, all these sources of money that the government has offloaded on the community to tell them to spend it any way you want, you know, I don't see anything in any of these spending requirements that mentions anything about dust and that it's your responsibility all of a sudden. The dust control has always been a government responsibility in the past and now, all of a sudden, it's taken off the books because of all this money that's...

What's your question, Mr. Villeneuve? Do you have a question?

Why is that, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of dust control has always been the responsibility of the community government. It has been built into the community government operational funds; it's something that's allocated on an annual basis. The community decides their budgets. If the community decides not to spend it on dust control, that's their decision. We have recently moved into transferring the dollars to the communities in different areas so that the communities can make their own decisions. There is more money flowing now for communities to work with on what their challenges are than there ever has been in the last while.

---Applause

Dust control can be accommodated in the community capacity fund, it can be accommodated in the new gas tax money, they can pave the whole community if that's what the community desires. If there is a problem and they want the government to carve a portion out of it, for us to tell the communities how to do it, that's not something we want to do anymore. The community has to decide where they want to spend the money. The tools are in their hands, they can make those decisions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's always a challenge to deal with the damage that's been done over the winter months because of frost heaving, because of the level of traffic that's on our roads as a result of resource development. There is also the issue of some areas flooding and those type of things, and it takes

a while to catch up. All our crews are out there. All our own-force crews are out there. Some crews are working overtime if there's areas that need extra attention, and all our contract crews are out there. But we have to ask the general public to bear with us. It's going to take a while. It usually takes several weeks to a month to get back on a regular maintenance schedule and do all the patching. This year we tried to get our crews out early to be able to accommodate the level of repairs that needed to be done, but it's going to take a while. We also need the weather to cooperate with us because if we get a rain storm, then that really escalates the damage that gets done on the roads, especially our gravel roads such as highways No. 1 and No. 7 in the Member's riding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to read briefly from an e-mail I got. "Dear Mr. Menicoche, blankety, blankety, blankety maintenance, blankety, blankety roads."

---Laughter

Just to highlight the fact that the Minister indicated the desire to get out there soon and I think soon was about a month ago to maintain those roads, Mr. Speaker. Once again, when will our maintenance schedule kick in for the roads, because there are people moving around? They are travelling around lots and safety is their number one concern. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the Member means when he asks when the maintenance schedule will kick in. We have a maintenance schedule that operates year round. We have a maintenance schedule that we are operating under right now. We are providing extra attention to some of the areas that are causing us some concern. However, we have our crews out there working as many hours as we can provide and we will continue to do so.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with respect to the maintenance schedule, the residents and constituents are reporting that the roads are not being maintained. People who travel quite frequently haven't seen the graders out there. There are indeed potholes. Highway No. 7, that's the Fort Liard one, there are lots of soft spots that need maintenance and filling in, but people aren't seeing anything being done. So when is the ministry going to direct the maintenance crews out there and have a good look at the problems that are occurring? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we will have some of our senior staff go into the areas on highways No. 1 and No. 7 to see for themselves if there are some concerns being raised by some of the Member's constituents and look into the issues. Thank you.