The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister reconsider and take ownership for a bad decision and place the lights back to its original location and fill the gaps in the runway before the new surface overlay is initiated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the decision was a good decision. Returning the runway to a width of 60 meters would require significant investment to construct and maintain as well as the additional cost to relocate the upgraded airfield lighting system. Therefore, the expenditure of public funds to return the runway to the former width specifications is unnecessary. Infrastructure and -- and the Department of Infrastructure has no plans to do so at this time. The improvements to this runway have positioned the department to maintain this important infrastructure effectively and efficiently while reducing operating and maintenance costs. The decision positioned the department to receive valuable funding to overlay the existing pavement surfaces. So we will be doing some work this -- this year on some of the pave -- the work -- at the Fort Smith airport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions, Member of Yellowknife North.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Finance.

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can do better than a 'yes', I can say that we've already done that. So, and I'm happy to continue those meetings, Mr. Speaker. I'm not totally surprised at the announcement that came yesterday. We don't necessarily always know but I certainly had a sense that that might be a direction that these parties might be going. I was thrilled to see it. I think that's a good move for the Northwest Territories. I am excited to see what will come with it and always happy to know if there's an opportunity for the government to participate in projects such as this one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, the high cost of gasoline and diesel fuel in our communities really affecting our people. I really would like to see if our government and -- would be committing to cap fuel prices and increases in our communities because we used to get it at Edmonton rack price so you'd be a year out and it wouldn't really affect. But now that I think they're buying their fuel somewhere else and being shipped around over the top, it might be costing a bit more, I don't know. But is it available -- or are they willing to work to cap the prices for the coastal communities of Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, indeed the cost of petroleum products has risen greatly across the country and in the Northwest Territories and remote communities are very much affected. Gasoline prices have gone up across Canada on average of 41 cents per liter over the past year. Diesel fuel prices have risen more than 42 cents per liter. And furnace oil prices for consumers have gone up more than 44 cents per liter. Canadians across this country are paying as much as 50 percent more compared to last year.

The department manages the cost of operations to try and limit the rise of prices for consumer but when the cost of fuel products we buy rises, the price of consumer goes up. Unfortunately Northwest Territories is not protected from the impact of national and global fuel price increases. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Ulukhaktok's gas price is $1.94. Sachs Harbour $1.95. Paulatuk, $1.93 -- or $1.34. Mr. Speaker, this is 50 cents more than anywhere across, like you go in Yellowknife it's 50 cent more back home. People got to live, trying to survive. I mean, not everybody has government jobs back home. We need to try to protect our constituents, Mr. Speaker, in regards to that. MTS I don't think is a make-profit company because it's owned by the GNWT which I think all that contract that they did get for north warning system, they should be sharing the wealth of it. So in regards to that, I think that something like this, this small for three communities for subsidy, our fly-in/fly-out community, they should be subsidized a bit and it should be looked at. Is the Minister willing to do, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department cannot subsidize fuel prices sold to consumers through this program. The subsidization is not permitted under the rules of the program. The entire program runs on a cost-recovery basis. Each liter of fuel that is sold includes the cost to purchase the fuel from wholesalers, the cost to transport the fuel to the communities, and the cost of commission to two local contractors who sell the fuel. The reason for the rise in the price of fuel lately is because it does cost us more to buy the fuel from the suppliers. This is extremely unfortunate but it is -- it's not something that the department can affect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that -- I really think that the -- with MTS, I mean, with all they're buying bulk fuel. Where are they buying their bulk fuel from. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.