Thank you, Mr. Loutitt. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm happy to do we are doing this in phases. I recognize it's not our decision whether it goes to EA. I don't think it's much secret that it probably will go to the environmental assessment. I want to get the sense: say we get regular approvals; we get those in 2024, let's say past the life of this Assembly; say we're approved, and we have funding for just phase 1 of Lockhart Lake. Will we build the road to Lockhart Lake, start construction, or are we going to wait to get regulatory approval and funding secured for the other phases? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll get Mr. Loutitt to answer that. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Loutitt.

Thank you, Mr. Loutitt. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Part of my concern with this entire project is that, I think in 2001, there was a business case. There has been years of talking about this, and it made probably complete sense when the diamond mines were in full operation. It would have saved them millions of dollars in not building the ice road every year. I am concerned that even if we built phase 1, which doesn't get us to the diamond mines, by the time we actually get phase 2 built, we're into 2027 would be my guess at the earliest. Most of those mines are ending the life of their operation.

There is kind of this never-ending moving target with this road of: we do a business plan and it says, "Yes. It's fine," and then, we have to wait 20 years. It seems we are least waiting another five years to even start construction. Can I get the Minister to speak to how those business plans and that assessment of the return on this keeps getting evaluated as the mines actually wind down? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. That portion still provides advantages to industry in the area and also will enhance exploration and also extends the ice road further north. The long-term vision of this project was to include an infrastructure corridor that supports road, communications, hydro transmission line infrastructure. It connects to an all-weather road, perhaps in Nunavut, that will link onto the deep-water Arctic part. There are opportunities within this project other than just looking at different phases. I respect it's going to take time. A lot of infrastructure projects do take time. It is something that is part of the mandate. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There have been a number of different assessments of this road and benefit-cost analysis. One of the problems is many of the ones I have seen, they do the analysis based on there being hydro, based on the road going to Nunavut, based on the port existing. I have yet to see a business case for just Lockhart Lake road, which is what we are proposing to build. We're proposing to build a road that doesn't get to the diamond mines, that doesn't have hydro. Is the Minister willing to go and do the business case for just that? Funding for this is ultimately up to political will. We may be sitting here in 2028, and we just built a road to Lockhart Lake and then decided to not build any further. Then, it will truly be a road to nowhere. It won't even be a road to the diamond mines. I just want to make sure that there is a business case for phase 1. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is something the Department of Infrastructure can look into, but we also can work with other departments within the GNWT, including ITI. There are opportunities there within that department to be able to work together to see how we can expand this project further. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just have the Minister confirm, in what we're sending to environmental assessment and the road to Lockhart Lake will hydro lines or power lines be included at that at all? Is that part of this plan? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There is potential within the Slave Geological Province Corridor. Some of the areas I've talked about, and the opportunities can include reaching out to other areas where we have other sources of hydro, perhaps. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just going to ask that question one more time a different way. I recognize we're sending this project for approval. It may go to environmental assessment, in all likelihood. We need to have a lot of detail. Is part of the plan to include extending power lines? Obviously, this would require running them up the Ingraham Trail and then down the road, which would be another huge project. I want to clarify whether the project as defined to Lockhart Lake includes transmission lines. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to get Mr. Loutitt to expand further on some of the potential opportunities within this project. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Loutitt.