Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement today is in terms of something that has been discussed throughout the last Assembly and could be some discussions around this Assembly in terms of our meetings. It has to do with the legacy of this government here, the legacy of the people of the Northwest Territories. I am talking about the legacy that would make a big difference to the people’s lives down the Mackenzie Valley as we continue on with the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.

Mr. Speaker, the issue here for myself is in terms of who is to gain and who is to lose in terms of not having some serious discussions about building the Mackenzie Valley Highway. Mr. Speaker, there has certainly been some strategic investments along the Mackenzie Valley route from Inuvik to…Sorry, from Wrigley to Tulita up to Norman Wells, Good Hope and further up the Mackenzie Valley here in terms of putting in permanent bridges in terms of looking at when this road could be built as people in the region who desperately want to have one. There are so many benefits of putting together a highway proposal, so many opportunities out there. It’s been said many times that the road here could reap many benefits for the people up and down the Mackenzie Valley.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that according to Connecting Canada, in the 2005 proposal, that the federal government could gain up to over $13 billion in tax and royalties if this road was built in terms of opening up the economic development in the Mackenzie Valley. They would be the biggest winners in terms of having this highway built. There have been many discussions as to how this highway could be built in terms of financing, in terms of P3, in terms of the government making a royalty sharing deal with the people of the Northwest Territories. There’s been private organizations working with the aboriginal groups to see how they could finance this project.

Mr. Speaker, the time is very right right now in terms of talking about a Mackenzie Valley Highway and having some serious discussions with the people of the Northwest Territories as to how this dream can become a reality within the life of this government to at least get the road open for the people in the North. Thank you.