Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say to my colleague in Kam Lake, thank you for this motion and having an opportunity to discuss the motion. Mr. Speaker, we say sacrifice is an ongoing process and not a one-time thing. Mr. Speaker, with the Deh Cho Bridge, it's sacrificing a lot of people in the Northwest Territories to get the bridge in here. It's not a one-time payment of $150 million over 35 years. I think it may be a long, long time. There is some uncertainty about some of the number and creating about the federal government's contribution. They are the biggest stakeholders in this process here in the Northwest Territories and they aren't even at the table in terms of making a strong commitment for infrastructure up the
Mackenzie Valley highway, let alone the Deh Cho Bridge. So the biggest stakeholder hasn't even come to the table.
I wonder if they are going to be down there on Friday along with the Premier's invited guests to be there. We should all be celebrating this process here. We should really be celebrating. Good for the people in Deh Cho and Fort Providence. Good for people in the Northwest Territories. Why is it going to be such a sombre party? Because of some information that has not come over to our side to really have a good, strong economic political debate on this infrastructure here. We are committing our children's future to 35 years of payments and we are making sacrifices. This is not a one-time payment. This is an ongoing process as it says here. All I am asking in this motion of Mr. Ramsay's is that information be disclosed regarding the economic model of this project and the impacts and benefits of this project here. Ground zero is Fort Providence. I don't really hear anything about it positively or strongly on the radio or in newspapers.
I know the Member for Deh Cho is really happy for this project here. I said it's good news and we should be really celebrating. Who is going to be really benefiting out of this project, number one? For me, I have very strong views on it. I think the proposed Mackenzie Valley highway and putting the bridge in the Mackenzie Valley is being left out for whatever reasons. We do not want to get into those areas right now. I would like to see that any other types of signed agreements be deferred to ensure we know what we are getting into with this project here. At least go down to Ottawa and make some calls to get the federal government to come to the table.
Mr. Speaker, when we were briefed on the Deh Cho Bridge, it seemed like it was going along okay. There were certain things that need to happen before we can get solid on some decisions here, Mr. Speaker. Somewhere, somehow, we just need to get up there without some things that weren't quite, I wasn't too comfortable with and some of the other Members, when we talked about some of the infrastructure in our communities. Yet it seems to somewhat have been pitted against the bridge in Bear River. The Bear River Bridge seems to be falling off and all we hear is this red flag. The Deh Cho Bridge seems to have the green light to go ahead.
My colleague here has commented on three months of funding and the federal government in terms of the royalties. I think it's 66 days, $55 million in three months. That's what they are taking out of this beautiful land, this country. Sixty-six days he said. Mr. Speaker, maybe they should be calling that bridge "Route 66 Bridge" in terms of this issue.
I want to say to Members here that I will strongly support this motion here that Mr. Ramsay has put on the floor here. Thank you.