Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a few statements about this sitting of the Legislature and why we are back here. The public very well knows that we had our spring budget session, which lasted almost six weeks, and towards the end of that session information and circumstances came to light that required this government to make the decisions with respect to the Deh Cho Bridge Project.

Mr. Speaker, rather than waiting until the May sitting of the Legislature, by which time the government would have had to expend funds through special warrants and bring forward an appropriation bill at that time in May, it was the feeling of the majority of Members that we should call a special sitting of the Legislature in order to again be able to share with the public and for the government to share with Members more information and an update on this project as it goes forward.

Mr. Speaker, I supported that position that the government took, and I think this is a better way of doing things. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge is a project that came into the care and keeping and mandate of this government by a very strange means, something that this government is not normally accustomed to using in order to acquire capital infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I think it has been proven that it has been a difficult road and I hope a learning road for this government, but the fact of the matter is that now we have a bridge across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence which is half built and we need to move forward. People need to understand, too, that we are not

exactly spending $165 million. What we are doing is taking on to our balance sheet, on to our books as a government, a debt for $165 million. In fact, this project is being financed by a lender.

Mr. Speaker, I guess the only... Well, one of the things going forward, whether you agree with this project or not, is something that’s unique about this project is the fact that it does have the ability to generate revenue and be self-financing. So it is a piece of infrastructure which I hope will serve the people of the North for very many years. It is unique. I hope we’ve learned good lessons from it and we will continue to discuss the details of this during this session going forward. Thank you.