Again, Mr. Chairman, I think it is important that we do understand what the retail market is in Inuvik in terms of people’s leases, when those leases are up and, more importantly, what the implications are going to be if there is a downtrend in the market with people’s ability to borrow to do these retrofits we were asking for. The people made major capital investments in these assets just a number of years ago. As I stated, less than four to five years ago these assets were acquired. So these people are in it for 20 to 30 years, and now, as government, I do not think we should be in the business of putting the private sector out of business for the comfort of a few departments.

Those departments that are there already are not in the dire straits you’re making them out to be. I’ve been in the Public Works office in Inuvik in the Perry Building. The sky isn’t falling quite yet. You go over to the MACA office where they’re located, and that office looks like it’s in pretty good shape. There again, you don’t have ramps or anything for disabled people to get into that facility, but you’re asking the private sector to do it.

I think you have to think long and hard about this decision. There will be implications, with regard to 47,000 square feet of office space, for space in Inuvik, which will have a detrimental effect on those assets in Inuvik at the present time. You’re talking about facilities in Inuvik that are getting up there in age. Some space is over 30 years old. Yes, they are aging pieces of infrastructure, but the private sector can only afford to maintain that infrastructure if they have tenants in those buildings and if they know they’ll be able to maintain and pay down that asset.

Again, I ask the Minister that before you move on this project, you do an independent assessment and evaluation on market disruption with regard to the Inuvik retail market.