Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have just a few comments on the Minister’s opening comments. I continue to be shocked at some of the words that are coming out of the Department of Transportation pertaining to the Deh Cho Bridge. In the Minister’s opening comments, he says, “However they do not yet reflect the revenue or cost savings that will accrue once the bridge is in operation.” Maybe if I can at some point... I know the Minister won’t respond until after all the Members have commented, but I would like the Minister to explain to me how putting over $5 million on an annual basis in a contribution to this bridge is going to in any way save us any money. We are taking the $2.2 million a year currently used to fund the ice crossing and the ferry operations there in Fort Providence and dumping it into the bridge. I fail to understand how we are going to be seeing any cost savings there. Also, on the revenue side, I haven’t been shown any evidence that the bridge will, in fact, earn any revenue. In the last piece of information that I received from the department, it would look like that operation of the Deh Cho Bridge is going to be running a deficit of somewhere in the neighbourhood of $1.5 million and that is in the first year and going forward. I can’t see how that bridge would turn a profit, but according to the Minister’s opening comments, it looks like that might in fact be the case.

I have to say this. I appreciate the department’s time, attention and energy and effort that it is

putting into trying to get the project done. I know it has been a challenge at times. It will remain to be a challenge until that bridge is open, but with all the effort that is being put into the bridge project, I hate to think that other things in the department are being left aside and needing some attention. That is always the inkling that I am left with when I look at that bridge project and all the effort that is going into it from the department’s perspective.

Again, we really need to stay on top of it. It is far from over. I know the Minister is going to be meeting with committee tomorrow night. We look forward to the presentation that the department is going to be making to the committee. As well, the Auditor General’s report should be coming in a couple weeks’ time. I certainly look forward to reading that and seeing what that has to say.

Again, I guess I will disagree with the Minister on his assertion that the bridge is going to be open in November. I really hope it is open in November 2011, but judging by the delays that we have seen recently and the steel, I just don’t understand how it is possible that we can be concluded by November and that bridge open to traffic by that date. I can’t see how that can happen. I know that Ruskin is supposed to come forward with a new timeline. Perhaps that might be part of the discussion tomorrow night or at some later date. I just had to take issue with that statement that was in the Minister’s opening remarks because I just don’t think it is accurate. Thank you.