Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, to this motion, I cannot support it after also speaking with my leadership in my riding. They feel that it's better to work with the Minister in any portfolio. You know, to get what we need in our ridings, we always have to work with one another, whoever the Ministers are, and at this point in this Assembly, we don't feel it's right to replace the Ministers. Say, if we were to replace one of the Ministers today, it would take anybody at least six months to nine months to get familiar with that portfolio. We're less than a year away from our next election, and we'd really waste a lot of time, especially in the portfolio the Member for Hay River South is facing that has many portfolios.
Sure, we don't always get the answers that we want on this side, and the other thing is, just because we're the majority on any side, we can't be controlling what Cabinet is doing all the time. In my riding, we don't always get what we want to get in our budgets, but we try our best to work with the Ministers.
I know that sometimes when we ask questions we always joke around with one another. Yes, sometimes it does upset us when the Ministers laugh, but we always do the same, especially after you keep bringing up different things through statements. How many times have I brought up Willow River? The Minister knows that file very well, and, sure, he might get a chuckle in there every once in a while when I bring it up.
To be serious, it does upset us once in a while when Ministers do that, but we all have to work together here, and I don't think it's right, just because we're a majority, to take out one of these Ministers with less than a year to go.
Mr. Speaker, in the early part of July, I had a feeling we were going to be in this situation because I live in Tsiigehtchic on the Mackenzie River and I saw buoys floating by the communities. So, of course, I was wondering to myself: how long will it take to get these buoys back in place? With updates from the Minister, it took 10 days to two weeks to get these buoys back in place. So of course that's going to have some effect on the barging system.
The other thing was: we had an extremely cool summer up in the Beaufort Delta. Of course, that is going to have an impact on the weather, you know, with ice conditions. The other thing is: I know it cost so far a little over $3 million, but it could have been worse. You know, if we didn't fulfill those other contracts -- just today, we had a briefing with the Minister. It could have been worse. It could have been in the $20 to $30 million range.
You know, I am not defending the department, but I am sure in the communities, like, I haven't spoken to any of my friends in those communities. I am sure this also created some employment. I mean, we haven't looked at that fact yet. You know, as we move forward, Mr. Speaker, I am sure we will get that information. For today, I cannot support this motion. Thank you.