Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is the funding is secure through the next year. It would be for subsequent years we would be addressing this issue. But it would be my intention to move very quickly to get this on the radar screen, because we know that in our process it's about nine months from the time the Minister comes forward with a proposal until you see it in the budget. I expect the federal process is even longer. So I will do that very quickly.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Transportation, the honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche. I asked the Minister on the 22nd of January, the Deputy Premier and the Minister had a tour of the community of Norman Wells, of the town of Norman Wells in the Sahtu, and unfortunately we had to cut that tour short. So I want to ask the Minister, in his short time there with the aviation airline company North Wright Aviation, and also the other councillors of the Town of Norman Wells, and the early, sorry, the Norman Wells claimant group talked about the extension of the runways in the Sahtu. I would like to ask the Minister if he would provide a brief detail as to where that discussion is heading right now. Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I can tell the Member that I believe a request for proposal has gone out and they're currently being assessed and it is to really look at all the runways and the cost estimates of the requirement to extend the runways in all our communities, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the cost estimates in the Colville Lake for 5,000 feet of runway, that's what's required for some aircraft to land in our communities. For Colville Lake it's $12 million, according to some information provided to me by the department. Transportation Canada has given a grace of 2010 for our runways to be used and they waived these certain aircrafts. If we don't have that target met by 2010, people in the Sahtu region will be flying in caravans or smaller aircrafts. They will not be using larger aircrafts and that will cause a lot of problems for our people. I'll ask the Minister if he would look seriously into this and see if he could get some solid commitment from the federal government to do something with our government and the people in our communities.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I can commit to getting back with more information to the Member. The extension of all these highways...Sorry. The extension of the runways is a huge financial undertaking and we do have to carefully assess all the needs that are out there. As well, the study will determine exactly if it is a need that can be further extended as time goes on. But I think the main thing here, Mr. Speaker, is that the runways have been determined that they can handle the loads that they are handling and they're perceived adequate enough. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was happy to hear the Minister talk about the extension of the highways. Anyhow.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the extension of the runways. The people of the Sahtu deserve to have nice runways they can land larger aircrafts and I don't think caravans would be adequate. So I ask the Minister again, in three years the federal government will hand down a ruling. They have given us a waive. What can we ensure the people in the Sahtu and other small communities that have less than 5,000 feet of runways to land larger aircrafts? We do not like to travel in 185s all the time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. A lot of the decision-making on a go-forward basis is, and will be in the document, the request for proposals that we put forward and DOT will work with the Northern Air Transportation Association and air carriers to develop the planned runway extensions on a priority basis for all our communities in the NWT. Mahsi.

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

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Member raises a good question that's very important to the Tlicho people and their region in terms of their highway and the maintenance. The chief has raised this issue about converting our existing DOT workforce operations and moving them to Edzo. But I would like to say that the maintenance crews that we do have are all employed and live in Edzo at this point. So with further comments on this particular request, the department has not received any formal proposal from the Tlicho at all. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister available to meet with the chief and myself to at least discuss the rationale and the benefits of transferring the responsibility to Edzo crew? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm always open to meetings with the MLA and the chiefs of his riding to discuss all the concerns raised by members of his community. We have met previously on a number of occasions and will continue to meet at their request. Mahsi.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, obviously we like to expedite this process. So I would like

to find out when can this meeting occur within the life of this session? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Menicoche.