Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just some general comments about how our government miraculously finds money for the Inuvik-Tuk highway and Betty House and the millions of dollars. I’ve been here seeking some certainty and funding for Highway No. 7 time and time and time again, yet the capital budget shows nothing for Highway No. 7. I don’t know how else to make the case that we have to spend money there. I am concerned that our priority of the Inuvik-Tuk highway will cost a reduction of any future capital

dollars for Highway No. 7. I’m not too sure how we’re going to manage it and I just wanted to get it on the record that we have to seriously consider it.

A couple things that are not making sense on this project is that they’re asking for $2.5 million for geotechnical work, potentially another $2.5 million for geotechnical work next year, and now they’re saying they want to begin construction next fall. That’s impossible to do. I’m not too sure what the plan is there for the Inuvik-Tuk highway. It just doesn’t make sense. Yes, they do the geotechnical. The geotechnical has to be done, so we have to do $2.5 million this year and the next year. My concern is that should the borrowing limit, if and when it does get increased – and I’m just going to throw out a number because I’m not too sure if we can borrow up to another $300 million – that we’re going to use half or maybe more of that towards the Inuvik-Tuk highway and then we do have other projects.

You know, I made the case this week to highlight and get attention for Highway No. 7. That will be first on the red flag list, but there are other projects in other constituencies that have capital demands that are just as important. How are we going to work towards this planning of future increase of our borrowing limit? That kind of concerns me.

I think the Members have been saying that. I think the biggest concern is giving approval to the first $2.5 million puts us in a situation where we cannot back down from the future of the project. I think that’s an immediate concern. My concern is projects throughout the whole Northwest Territories and how accessible we can be towards any increase in the capital plan.

They speak about the certainty of the federal government giving us $150 million. I’m not too sure, but nobody’s been able to confirm that it is in the federal government’s budget. It was certainly in the budget speech, but did it translate into the budget? I don’t know if they’ve given us any portion of that $150 million yet and will it be in this upcoming federal budget as well. Those are the questions that I have not yet heard answered, and I certainly would like to hear them answered as we move forward.

I know that the window of opportunity for geotechnical work is narrow and small. I don’t know if you’ll spend the whole $2.5 million that they’re requesting in the next six weeks. Maybe the Minister can assure me or us that that’s the case, or are they just kind of asking for $2.5 million and are only going to spend $1 million.

The reality of the situation is that they should actually ask what they can have the capacity to do and not just grab untold millions of dollars. Because that’s my issue, is that if they’re just going to grab $2.5 million because they think they need it, and I think I need it for Highway No. 7, so why can’t I

grab a million or two dollars? Their reasoning is really on shaky ground and is causing me concern, Madam Chair. Thank you.