Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions surround my Member’s statement in regards to the maintenance and disrepair of our highway systems in the Northwest Territories. I think we do have to look at how we maintain the highway systems we have. The practice to date has been applying calcium, continue to grade and apply more crushed gravel to the surface and continue on trying to be able to maintain that system, but yet, Mr. Speaker, it is not working. We are realizing our climate is changing. We are seeing more rain. We are seeing more permafrost separation by way of roads

shifting and culverts collapsing. I think it is crucial that we look at an alternative. Mr. Speaker, I believe the alternative that we have to look at is chipseal or looking at eventually permanent pavement on our highway systems.

Mr. Speaker, there has been pavement in Inuvik for quite a few years. You drive the Alaska Highway; it is paved pretty well all the way to Whitehorse. You can drive from Whitehorse to Dawson City which is chipseal and even parts of the Dempster Highway in the Yukon is chipseal. I would like to ask the Minister, is he willing to consider looking at a different way of maintaining our highway systems by implementing a territorial-wide program that will chipseal all of our gravel highways so that we can bring our highway systems up to the standards of other jurisdictions in Canada? Thank you.