Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The importance of community resupply has been spoken of in this House many times. It's been publicly stated private barging contracts will not take priority over essential community resupply services. In 2016, the GNWT took over operations in the marine transportation services when the GNWT took over MTS. It assured public and elected officials in the communities they'd remain priority service. The Minister assured us in this House that private contracts for barging services would not impact the GNWT, the ability to resupply NWT communities with fuel and food. In fact, the department recently purchased larger barges. MTS stated the new barges will provide us the opportunity to travel once each year of our communities providing them with the debt cargo and their entire quantity of petroleum products for that year. These newer barges, Mr. Speaker, were expected to provide an operational savings and reduce the risk of oil spill.
Mr. Speaker, the new barges purchased at MTS did not help the community of Sachs Harbour this year. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has waited once again until the end of the season, the shipping season, to provide essential fuel and cargo for the communities.
We don't have to look too far to remember back the first time the Minister of Infrastructure has failed to deliver a promise in the community resupply in 2018. While shelves in the communities developing MTS cancelled the barge resupply to Paulatuk due to impassable ice, Mr. Speaker, that the GNWT did ensure that this never happens again. I quote the mayor of Paulatuk at the time he said the community was never given clear delivery date besides original forecast in the barge to arrive early September. Now, Mr. Speaker, four years later, we find ourselves in the same situation.
It is now October. Why the GNWT is waiting for the communities until the end of the barging season? How is it possible for the department can deliver on contracts all through the summer of the barging season and do NWT communities in the High Arctic who pay the price. I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.