Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I will be supporting this motion, the main reason being that there’s a message that’s got to be sent: there are other priorities out there, especially, as Mr. Krutko mentioned, Highway No. 7. That is part of our national highway system.
I’ve done many Member’s statements and questions in the House regarding the events that occurred this spring and this summer. Constituents are consistently requesting a permanent remedy and permanent solutions so that we don’t have another closure of Highway No. 7. I’ve got many written documentations from the department, as well, in response to this concern from the region.
But on the books, Mr. Chair, there’s no obvious increment to address the need for Highway No. 7. In fact, they have to take away from other pressing needs of Highway No. 7 in order to address that highway section that closed as well. For me, it’s a message to government that says: look, when you’re distributing our capital dollars and it comes to safety and maintenance of our national highway systems, you’ve got to take into serious consideration all the different regions.
As Mr. Krutko indicated, it’s a reduction in the chipsealing budget, but it doesn’t mean it’s not going to get done, Mr. Chair; it’s just not going to get all done today. That’s the same thing we are faced with in other regions, you know. All we ask is that we take care of our needs. It doesn’t have to be all done today. Do it over time, but at least as government say that you’re addressing it and you’re working towards it.
Particularly with the budget for Highway No. 7 I’ve noticed that the budget remains the same. Why would that be, especially with all the pressing needs
for that particular section, Mr. Chair, and some other smaller regions like Highway No. 6 at Fort Res too? That’s another pressing area that’s been spoken about time and time again. I’ll let theMember press that need as well.
I just want to reiterate that for me it’s a message that when government is sitting there allocating the much needed capital dollars, you’ve really got to take into consideration the seriousness, particularly in Transportation, of highways being shut down. I commend the government and Transportation for every effort they’ve made on Highway No. 7, but I’m just afraid that if it happens again next year, then what have we really done? Giving them the additional resources they need in order to have a good strategy and a good plan for maintaining and reconstructing our highways is critical to my decision on this motion, Mr. Chair. Mahsi.