Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have undertaken at least two studies on the feasibility of undertaking community conversions to natural gas along the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline right-of-way. We also participated in the Ikhill transmission line where Inuvik converted to natural gas. So we participated in that process. A large part of whether we continue with natural gas conversion in the communities the Member mentioned is the Joint Review Panel of the Mackenzie pipeline to see what the recommendations would be contained therein.

Can the Minister inform me as to how much has been invested into the feasibility studies for the natural gas conversions?

I don’t have the exact numbers, but I think the first study was $50,000, and I expect the second one to update the original study was probably in the neighbourhood of $25,000.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister look into the possibilities of developing a cogeneration plant in the Sahtu?

This government, for the first time, put in a $60 million budget to look at alternative forms of energy so that we can reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. We have a number of projects in the works, including a hydro symposium in the Sahtu, and certainly we are looking at all forms of alternative energy and we would be prepared to look at cogeneration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People in the Sahtu certainly appreciate the funds for the hydro symposium. Can I ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, as a result at the conclusion of the hydro symposium, would this government seriously look at construction of some of the initiatives that they could do in the Sahtu to reduce the cost of energy?

There are quite a number of possibilities not only for the Sahtu region, but with regard to the Sahtu. I guess the immediate one that comes to mind is the conversion to natural gas that would reduce the cost of living. Secondly, you’d be looking at hydro, also mini-hydro, hydrokinetics that could work under the ice and certainly cogeneration and, of course, biomass, which would be a significant form of energy as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s a difficult question to answer, as I sit as a member of that committee and so does the Member that’s asking the question. Certainly I think this is a very worthy discussion that needs to take place and I certainly would be pleased to be part of that discussion with the Rural and Remote committee. Thank you.

With respect to the specific project for Austin Lake road, will the Minister be prepared to develop a strategy in conjunction with the mini-hydro project to start the Access Road Program discussions? Thank you.

I’m not prepared to be the lead on the Austin road project at this point. The community has a role to play here and ITI has identified the project in the area. There have been some discussions that have taken place and we

have been involved, but I am very hesitant to say that we will be the lead.

It’s a municipal piece of infrastructure that is required. We do have a program that can be tapped into for a small amount of money and we’ve also had some discussion with some of the people from Diavik that are very interested in working with the community to help coordinate and pay and give some advice in that area. So we’d be pleased to be part of any type of group that would be considering to make plans and invest, but as to being the lead, I don’t believe that’s our position. Thank you.

Then is the Minister prepared to develop and present a new expanded Access Road Program to the House? Thank you.

I’m glad that several Members have raised the issue and concern regarding the amount of funding in the Access Road Program during our presentation. Yesterday it was raised by a number of Members also. So I certainly will have a discussion with our officials in the Department of Transportation and also people in Finance for consideration for the next budget that comes forth. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister sort of answered the question that is he prepared to seriously examine substantial budget increases to the Access Road Program starting next year. Thank you.

I’d be glad to bring more money to the table in this program. However, consideration has to be made by all departments and the Department of Finance as we move forward with our priorities. But I will certainly take his advice and have our officials look at what could be improved on and how much money that would take, and bring that forward in the next budget that we bring forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about a program put on by the Northern Construction Association. It’s called Certificate of Recognition, also known as COR. Mr. Speaker, it’s a very successful program across Canada and it’s about safety management. It’s also implemented by all if not most provinces, which also includes the Yukon Territory, where they work on this accreditation on public service and construction projects. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Government

Services, is his department today looking into this accreditation program and are they considering this as a certain standard level on all government service contracts as well as construction contracts going forward someday? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Public Works and Services, Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes, we are considering it at this point.

As I mentioned, the Yukon Territory is able to use this standard called COR throughout their Territory as well as their small communities quite extensively. Mr. Speaker, has the Minister had any engagement with the Yukon Territory to see if it is possible to use some of their phase-in model that they used over there where they had only significantly high contracts the first year and then they kept lowering them down until we could expand the program throughout the system in a fair and reasonable way, recognizing that they’re small contractors, small service providers, as well as large ones? Has the Minister used the opportunity to engage the Yukon on their process? Thank you.