Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you have to ask yourself or oneself, with all the resource development that's taking place in this territory, why is it that since 1987 not one single solitary kilometre of new roadway has been constructed in our territory. I'd like to ask the Minister of Transportation how come, over 20 years, there hasn't been one single kilometre of roadway constructed in this territory, even given the fact that the federal government has taken, just in the five years alone, $924 million in resource revenue out of this territory? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Member raises a good question and that's why we pointed it out in our budget speech. That's a very good question we should be asking the federal government and the federal Transportation Minister. In fact, I think the last new road, we had to complete it; that was the highway up north towards Wrigley. We were responsible for finishing it off. We continue to press the matter with the federal government every chance that we get. I know the Premier has, I have, and all Members of our government have been doing it on a consistent basis, Mr. Speaker. The infrastructure that the federal government develops in the North will benefit not only us now, but in the future as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've heard colleagues of mine in this House just recently talk about connecting an all-weather road into the Dogrib communities, the all-weather road down the Mackenzie Highway, or down the Mackenzie Valley, also the Tuk-Inuvik highway. Highways are a big issue here in the North, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister, they've come up with the Corridors for Canada I, the Corridors for Canada II, yet we haven't got any substantial new roadwork done or constructed in the Northwest Territories. I'd like to ask the Minister, are there plans of a comprehensive Highway Strategy in the Northwest Territories that can work with aboriginal governments, industry and the federal government to accomplish the goals? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. If I hear the Member correctly he was asking if our government had a comprehensive Highway Strategy. Consistently over the years, we do have a strategy for new roads but that's, again, we continue to press the matter with the federal Transportation ministry as well as our federal government. They are highlighted in many of our documents, Connecting Canada Coast to Coast to Coast, Corridors for Canada I, as the Member mentioned, as well as Corridors for Canada II. Those are long-term strategies. It certainly is all the future roads that we want: the Mackenzie Highway, the Slave Geological Province, the realignment of the Tlicho roads. They are all very important, Mr. Speaker. Especially with the impact of climate change, we do have to realign all our roads, as many of our winter roads are crossing streams and lakes, et cetera. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the level of investment that the Government of the Northwest Territories made in Highway No. 4, the Ingraham Trail, I would suggest that that highway be given a top priority in terms of any road going north into the Slave Geological Province. I would like to ask the Minister to answer the question whether, in fact, the Ingraham Trail will be given top priority in any future road development north into the Slave Geological Province. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Member raises a good question. That road is a priority of this government along with many of our roads and infrastructure...

---Applause

...that we must maintain and upkeep, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to upkeep and maintain that road. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker...(Translation) I'm going to talk about, I want to talk about one important issue. There's no RCMP living in Gameti. Sometimes we have tragedy among us. I brought it up numerous times in this House. I'm going to ask questions to the Minister later on. (Translation ends)

I'd like to highlight the RCMP presence in the community of Gameti. I've raised this issue on numerous occasions in this House and also in front of the Social Programs committee and I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever address this concern. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell, what is the department doing currently to see a possible RCMP detachment in the community of Gameti in the near future? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the Member and I've been in the community with the Member and talked to the residents of Gameti. The RCMP were in there to talk to them as well. Of course, we're running the pilot project for the second year now during the winter road season to have an RCMP presence on the ground, and I think that's very much been appreciated by the community. But the community, especially the elders, have told us that is not enough, and that in fact they need a full-time RCMP presence in that community. I can tell you that the RCMP agree with them; this government agrees with them and we're working as hard as we can to see a permanent detachment in that community. There are, as Members know, a number of communities without detachments, but we're working systematically to try to reduce the number of communities without detachments and Gameti absolutely, Mr. Speaker, is a priority. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the pilot project on the winter road last year was very successful and we much appreciate it from the RCMP detachment and the department. We're looking forward to another one during the upcoming weeks of the winter road opening in Gameti. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister, is there any way to speed up the process within the GNWT system and, most importantly, with the federal government to expedite this process?

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Members know, it is the federal government that is responsible for the capital money, the capital allocation to build detachments. I have spoken to the federal Justice Minister about this. He's very much supportive, as are the RCMP. So it really is about us finding the operational dollars, getting the commitment from the RCMP to do this. I believe and know from talking to the chief superintendent, he recognizes the urgency. I can assure the Member we're working as quickly as we possibly can to see a detachment built there. I'd like to see it happen. I'd like to see the commitment to a full-time presence before we leave office next October. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to highlight that the Tlicho Government is ready and willing to work with the Minister of Justice to find a fast solution to this issue. So I'd like to ask the Minister, what is the department's action plan? I'd like to see a plan in place for '07-08 to help make this vision a reality. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I should acknowledge that the Tlicho leadership, the chiefs have been very cooperative and very helpful in working with my department and the RCMP, especially to try to restrict the flow of alcohol and drugs into those communities. This does take an approach by the leadership and by all of the communities to be successful. We want to reciprocate. We recognize that effort. We want to make a likewise effort. So I can tell the Member that I will be sitting down with the RCMP, and with my colleagues on this side of the House, and with government, and with committee, to make the case for a detachment in Gameti, and I sincerely hope that we can have some positive news soon on that front, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.