Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is referencing leveraged areas. Is that debt that we would have on our books through a number of other corporations? We put all of our information together that would impact our fiscal framework. We will put all of the pieces together and be prepared to share that with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in my Member’s statement, I spoke to the state of transportation in the Beaufort-Delta. Another concern I had was the ice bridge at the Mackenzie River. It is not a $165 million bridge, but it is a bridge that allows goods and services to come into the Beaufort-Delta quickly. The concern I have, Mr. Speaker -- and I am going to direct my questions to the Transportation Minister -- there is an important piece of equipment that is used for making ice at the Mackenzie ice crossing stored 150 kilometres away while we have a storage yard 150 yards from the site. Does the Minister know why we are storing this piece of equipment by the Yukon border? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie ice bridge crossing machinery I think the Member is referring to is right now at what I have been told is the location that the department feels is the only location that it can be stored at. I did check into it and asked about other areas that it can be stored in. It is not being used right now. That is where it can be stored in terms of safety and security reasons.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is due to budget constraints and certainly budget reductions in the department that is unable to use this machine at the Mackenzie ice crossing at Tsiigehtchic.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Well, Mr. Speaker, if it is budget concerns they are worried about, why is the machinery stored 150 kilometres away when it can be stored at the Transportation yard right at the Mackenzie River right at Tsiigehtchic? I would like to ask the Minister if he is aware of the cost of hauling this piece of equipment 150 kilometres there and 150 kilometres back? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, even though we did haul the machine to the area the Member is referring to, it is going to sit there. It is not in the budget. It has been reduced in terms of our transportation. We are looking at ways we could bring the machine in and possibly use it in the future. However, again, we are going through the process of planning priorities. We will see if this is something that is really needed. I will continue working with the Members in terms of making this machine available to the people of the Delta area.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister again, how much is it costing the department to transport that machinery back and forth? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, right now it is not moving so it is not costing the department anything.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Economic Development and Infrastructure committee put out a press release through normal channels. The press release requested information regarding the Deh Cho Bridge process. It was agreed to by all of the committee members. Mr. Speaker, it was the government’s decision yesterday not to send this out through Messenger, the government’s e-mail service, because of the political nature of that press release.

Mr. Speaker, most press releases are political in nature. I am wondering what would make this press release any more political than any other one we send out. The first question I would have for the Premier is, who made the decision not to send out the committee’s press release yesterday? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know the Member would probably be happy to say it was I that said not to release it, but I have just been made aware of it by a note being sent over to me. So I am unaware who made that decision. It is something that we would have to look at. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe any Minister or northern Premier can thwart the free speech and a privilege that we have here as Members of this House. I would like to ask the Premier if he could find out who made that decision and why it was made. If we are going to be censored and there is going to be a gatekeeper on press releases that committees make, we should know about that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.