Thank you very much. Committee, we’d like to thank our witnesses today, Mr. Devitt, Ms. Eggenhofer and Minister Lafferty. Thank you very much. Could I get the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort our witnesses out of the Chamber?

What is the wish of committee? We’ll ask the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay, does he have witnesses he’d like to bring into the Chamber?

I hope so, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. We’ll just take a brief break here for one second.

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Welcome back, committee. Mr. Ramsay, witnesses seem to be in transit. Do you care to proceed without witnesses?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe we have one witness here that I’d like to bring into the Chamber. If the other comes, they come. We can start with one.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. When the witness comes in, if I could get the Sergeant-at-Arms to bring the witness into the Chamber. Does committee agree?

Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. If you’d care to introduce your witness to the committee, please.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. We will only have one witness with me today to review the capital plan for the Department of Transportation and that is Deputy Minister Russ Neudorf.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Welcome to the House, Mr. Neudorf. Welcome back. We are on page 9-2, Transportation. We’ll defer that. If I can get you to turn to page 9-4, Transportation, activity summary, airports, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.5 million. We’ll be going to the Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just have a question about one item on this particular budget. Actually, I think I’m on the wrong page. Which page are we on, Mr. Chairman?

Airports.

I’m on the wrong page. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Okay. Pages 9-4 and 9-5, Transportation, activity summary, airports, infrastructure investment summary. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just going to the budget. I’d like to stress the need for an extension to the airport in Aklavik. I do not see it in the plans over the next few years but I just wanted to stress that it is needed for the community to expand the runway there, just for safety reasons. It was done in Fort McPherson, and I believe there were plans to do the same in Aklavik and I would just like to stress to the Minister that I would really appreciate it if that was in the budget for the coming year.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There was a comprehensive review done in 2007 and the airport in Aklavik wasn’t identified at that time as a priority. We do review annually the priorities and needs around the territory, so if things have changed in Aklavik and the need arises to have another look at that, it’s something we would consider.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Moving on with questions I have Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wonder if I can get, I don’t see any project substantiation sheets for this. It could be the new technology I’m trying to use here. The runway stabilization for Aklavik, Deline, Tuk and Liard, I wonder if I can get an explanation of what that’s about.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’m not sure why the Member wouldn’t have the project substantiation on the runway stabilization. I’ll go to Mr. Neudorf to provide an explanation on how that money is going to be spent.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Neudorf.

Thank you, Mr. Neudorf. Mr. Bromley.