Mr. Chairman, the concept of having the Deh Cho loop is a good one and certainly something that we support. The road is a part of our Territory that is very scenic. There is a lot of wildlife in the area and it’s still virtually very
pristine. However, during the spring months, during the spring thaw we have many challenges as the road becomes very wet. There are issues with drainage and we have a very poor sub-grade. It was a road that was built many years ago and it’s at a point in its life where it needs to be reconstructed and we have undertaken to start that process. We’re on our third year of investment and making headway has been very difficult as we’ve seen the road slump and deteriorate in some areas that are not part of our construction plan and has required us to redirect our investment into those areas.
As to how many years it would take to do the whole loop that is a difficult one to answer. I can only speak for the time that I’m here and what’s in this budget, and it would really be conditional as what’s available for investment and what the priorities are for the next government and future governments. Thank you.