Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Transportation, I’ve heard the exchange between Premier McLeod and the honourable Member for Hay River, Mrs. Groenewegen, on this decentralization. I want to ask the Minister of Transportation about one issue that’s been bugging me for awhile.

As you know, the issue of the Tulita district, Norman Wells and Tulita, that there seems to be some interest by some oil companies to look at some of the work that could possibly happen. So I wanted to ask the Minister in terms of the decentralization issue – the Premier is saying you can count on us – if the department can look at plans moving their transportation office that will serve the Sahtu, moving it out of Fort Simpson’s regional office and Inuvik’s regional office so that it makes sense. It just makes sense to move those regional offices to the Sahtu rather than have that outside-looking approach where the two different regions are taking care of what we could take care of ourselves. Is the Minister looking at that concept where maybe one day he can convince his Cabinet colleagues to make that move for us?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As things progress in the Sahtu – and we’re very excited about the prospects that are there – it certainly is something I think that would be in the mix as we look at the opportunities that are there. It’s something that the government certainly should take into consideration and we will do just that.

I’d like to ask the Minister when we can have some serious discussions where this government can say let’s make a move in the Sahtu, let’s look at moving some of the transportation responsibilities to the people in the Sahtu. When can we do that? When can the Minister provide this House and me with some discussion paper that this is the right move to make for this government?

In the Premier’s response to Mrs. Groenewegen, that work is going to start. We’re going to take a look at some of the decentralization and positions that may in fact find their way into the regional centres. Certainly in the case of the Sahtu, that would figure into that mix.

Again, it’s a process that has only just begun. As far as the timeline goes, I wouldn’t want to take a guess at that, but sooner rather than later.

Last year in the Sahtu the oil companies spent $80 million in the Sahtu just for looking at oil and gas exploration. They are expected to do double that this year. Further on they’re supposed to do a little more. We know there is business happening in the Sahtu. We’re asking this government, we’re willing to help the North, will you help us and start by putting some of these regional offices such as transportation? I know sooner sounds a lot better to me than later. Can the Minister, within the three years of this government, at least start seeing some shift of the regional transportation being moved into the Sahtu? Now we’re asking you to help us. I’m hoping that with the Premier’s work you can count on us that we can take that to the bank. Will the Minister look at something that we can do within the next business plan?

Yes, and I think again as things progress in the Sahtu, government has to realize that we’re going to have to look at capacity there. Not just in transportation but in business development and tourism and other things that are just going to be natural for us to be looking at should the population expand there, should the infrastructure expand there, and opportunities are there. We will have to certainly pay attention to that, and again, on the transportation and having an office in the Sahtu, that is something that we will consider.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister assure me or the House that he’s bringing these types of discussions to the Cabinet level where they’ll have some discussions? It just makes sense and makes it right that we do, looking at decentralization of a Transportation department and make it into the Sahtu. Will the Minister then provide me with some concrete information saying

that we’re going to have this discussion with the Cabinet? Can the Minister do that for us?

I can assure the Member that I have had those discussions with both my deputy ministers both in Transportation and at ITI. For me we’re going to have to see how that fits into the government-wide initiative when it comes to decentralization and where our resources are based. We will get to that work.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today will be for the Minister of Transportation. There’s no doubt that there’s been a lot of flurry of activity in the media lately regarding the Highway No. 4 bypass here in Yellowknife, and for good reason. There’s obviously a lot of concern out there. Contrary to what was reported by the media spokespeople by the Department of Transportation on this highway project and the Negotiated Contracts Policy, there has been more than just one company that’s come forward. There have been many companies that have come forward to seek an interest and, more importantly, an opportunity to bid on this contract.

Can the Minister of Transportation indicate to this House and to the Members here what was said and what was done with these hardworking Yellowknife taxpaying companies who did not get an opportunity to do an RFP?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were two other companies that had expressed interest and the Department of Transportation had written to both of those companies. I believe the Member was copied on both of those letters.

Yes, we did receive those letters and, again, obviously there will be probably some more future questions on that.

Moving on to my next question to the Minister, I need to know, and I think a lot of people need to know here, what is the government’s position on future road construction projects in the greater Yellowknife area with respect to this Negotiated Contracts Policy. What is this government’s message moving forward and to the business community here in Yellowknife?

The message moving forward is future highway contracts in the Yellowknife area are intended to be tendered.

That’s good news to hear. I guess my next question has to do with, as I think was mentioned in my Member’s statement, this government’s position when this Yellowknife region reaches full market capacity, which we see today, especially in highway construction, how will this government deal with overcapacity. In essence, how are they going to deal with the cannibalization of businesses competing desperately to stay alive and what is this government going to do when businesses start to close down when there’s lack of work?

I see it much differently than the Member, obviously. I don’t see cannibalism. I see capacity building for an Aboriginal development corporation that is going to supply opportunities for jobs, training and development of the workforce there.

I believe that going forward, as I mentioned in response to the previous question, we will be tendering future roadwork in the Yellowknife area. Because this money is coming from the Giant Mine Remediation Funds, this is at the very doorstep of Chief Drygeese territory and nobody asked the Yellowknives Dene for 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide to be stored at the very foot of the Chief Drygeese territory.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member and the Minister here. Obviously this is money for remediation, but this is also public money from public tax dollars. So again, there’s no real earmarking here.

My last question has to deal with if this policy is being done in the way that has been indicated to the House and Members here, and if the proponent was meeting the needs of this policy, and obviously construction of this road is in dire need, and there’s a timeline sensitivity to this road. My question is, and also of the proponent, I’m sure, who’s waiting in the wings: Why hasn’t this government signed this contract already? I think a lot of us really want to know that ultimate question.

The details are still being worked out. We hope to have the negotiation concluded by the end of this month and construction would start shortly thereafter.

Again, and I will reiterate this, we are looking at Det’on Cho and the number of companies that they will be bringing in partnership on the construction of this realignment project. Those companies are northern and they will be northern. We have yet to see a finalized negotiated agreement. We will be

getting that shortly and make an announcement after that.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. David Ramsay.