Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m going to speak today in favour of the motion. First of all, I think it speaks to the fact that the government…. I can appreciate the fact that they do have $59 million that needs to be spent in, obviously, different areas across the territory. I do appreciate that. But the government has to listen to Members and the concerns that have been raised in this House and from the travelling public. I think we get concerned when money is being spent.
This isn’t deleting every bit of money from Highway No. 5. We’re spending money on a highway that is passable — it is a good highway, and I’ve driven that highway — when we have other highways that are impassable and a danger to public safety. We need to be focusing our efforts on ensuring that the public can safely travel on all of our highways. If the Liard Highway has to close again in the spring and people get stuck out there and the weather turns
and somebody gets killed or injured on that road, that’s a big problem.
More than anything this motion is just to send a message. I’m not sure why we’re looking at chipsealing roads or redoing roads that are good, that are passable, when we do have roads that obviously need some more attention.
Again, it’s not deleting everything. There’s more money coming down the road, I should say, in the next few years for Highway No. 5. The thing for me is the message that this sends. I do support the mover of the motion and the motion that’s before us today.