Thanks, Mr. Chair. In all the capital budgets that I've been involved in here, there was no effort to reach out to Regular MLAs and talk about what the priorities should be. Unfortunately, the same old game.
I can say that Regular MLAs did request a number of changes, and those were rejected, as well. It is the largest infrastructure acquisition plan during my time in this Assembly, and probably the largest ever. I recognize that a large portion of this is probably coming from the federal government, but they seem to be determining our priorities now.
I am also quite concerned about the potential to increase our debt. As I understand, the debt limit is $1.3 billion. We're at $1.1, and this, I think, has the potential to increase that.
I'm not going to comment on some of the other items that I've heard from my colleagues, but I support everything that they've said so far in terms of needs that may or may not be reflected in the capital budget. I don't see anything in here that I can detect about the water line replacement. The City of Yellowknife, there was a request from the city for support of $8 million to assist with that extraordinary sort of one-time cost.
There is nothing in here that I can see in terms of a plan to lengthen the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link to our communities to provide for the promised increased or improved services for Internet in our communities up and down the valley.
There is nothing in here that I can see with regard to visitor services for new capital infrastructure, whether it's in Tuktoyaktuk, Whati, or even in Yellowknife, where the Minister has now made it public that the Northern Frontier Visitors' Centre will be demolished this winter. No new money go in the budget for visitor services, visitor facilities, for any of these three communities I've just mentioned.
I'm glad that the Minister compiled the information in his opening remarks with regard to the amount that is being spent on roads. It is basically 34 percent of the capital budget. The entire capital budget is for roads. I think that roads are important, but when they start to overshadow everything else that is in the budget, there is a problem, including decreased funding for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. How does that happen at the same time?
I think that that is a reflection of Cabinet's priorities. I have a number of questions that I wish to ask, particularly about at least a couple of the energy projects that are in here. There is a transmission line to be built to the community of Whati. I have some detailed questions that I would like to pursue at the appropriate time. I also have some questions about the replacement of the diesel plant in Lutselk'e. In both of those communities, there has been significant amount of work done in terms of many hydro potential for both of those communities, and I think even at a much reduced cost, but I guess that we will find out through questioning.
I, too, Mr. Chair, will find it difficult to support this capital budget without having had the opportunity to have any input into it, and the suggestions that have been made have been rejected, so I probably will not be supporting the capital budget. Thanks, Mr. Chair.