Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to speak today about an issue that I have raised in this House on numerous occasions over the past three and a half years. That issue, Mr. Speaker, is the construction of a city bypass road from Highway No. 3 to the Kam Lake Industrial Park. Mr. Speaker, some of the excuses that I have heard over the year as to why it has not been concluded is there have been concerns over land access, rights-of-way, the alignment, cost, the servicing of the new road. Mr. Speaker, what we need to do as a government is work out a mutually beneficial agreement with the City of Yellowknife to see that this road is constructed as soon as possible.

The Government of the Northwest Territories benefits because this road will open up access to the west side of the Yellowknife Airport property. The city needs land to develop and, from a public safety standpoint, the residents of this city should have an alternate route into and out of the city. I have spoken previously about the possibility of a major incident or an accident at the Yellowknife Airport and the fact that it would essentially cut the city off from road access. Add to that the possibility of an accident or an incident on the top of Kam Lake Road near the North Slave Correctional Centre, and the residents and businesses in my riding in Kam Lake Industrial Park would essentially be cut off from access.

The construction of this bypass road is long overdue, Mr. Speaker. It will be an integral piece of public infrastructure and, as a government, we have a perfect opportunity in front of us to partner with the City of Yellowknife to construct this road.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know where the negotiations are at. I would also like to know why this project is not getting the level of attention that it deserves and it requires. I have been a member of the Governance and Economic Development committee since I arrived here at the Legislature in 2003 and I know this subject was brought up numerous times by myself at the committee level. Recommendations go forward to the government, and for whatever reason they fail to act on those recommendations. It is a surprise to me that again in this year's budget there is no inclusion of any money to partner with the City of Yellowknife on this much needed piece of public infrastructure. You can look around the city, you see the trucks, you can see them driving around. It is ice road season. We need a bypass road in the city of Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly have questions for the Minister of Transportation at the appropriate time. Mahsi.

---Applause