Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to speak to the Deh Cho Bridge concern and issue. Yesterday we heard the Minister speak in his Minister’s statement regarding an agreement that they’ve reached that could run us up to a capped $10 million. What stood out specifically for me was they’re confident that both parties are committed to the success of this project. Of course, I’m more confident that Ruskin has figured out how to keep draining more money out of the GNWT coffers and the territorial government continues to roll over. If I may coin it in a typical sense of partnership, I would call this more of an abusive relationship than certainly a partnership.
Quite frankly, what happened to the fixed contract we were told time and time and time again? How many more figurative RSVPs will be told and sent out into our mailboxes that we’ll be getting ready for? Will the opening date be pushed back one more year? Besides, how much more money will it cost taxpayers?
I remember one Member on this side of the House many years ago constantly talked about who is going to pay, who is going take responsibility for this particular project. It’s gone from $140 million to $160 million to $180 million. Now it’s well over $200 million.
All I hear about now on the street is, as the old slogan used to go, between a rock and a hard place. Well, people are now saying, well, I hate to be between a bridge and a hard place. Frankly, the citizens are getting tired of this. I’m getting tired of being held hostage to this particular project. How much more money does it continue to cost the taxpayers?
I’ve been a strong proponent of this particular project from the beginning because I believe in the concept. It’s the management. I’d like the Department of Transportation to stop negotiating with a blank cheque that’s sitting in the hands of Ruskin waiting for them to fill in the number.
Enforcement clauses were always written into all contracts, but apparently for this Deh Cho Bridge contract they must have been written in invisible ink. What happened to the day when a contract was a contract? I look forward to that being finally satisfied. To be frank, we’re spending a lot of time, energy and money on this particular project and now the biggest critic is the champion. We need to see results on this. How much more money will it cost the taxpayers?
I will have questions later today to get to the bottom of some of this. Thank you.