Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to go on to another one. In my general comments, I talked about the hamlet of Ulukhaktok talking about building a new bridge to connect there. The bridge that they have presently in Ulukhaktok from the airport to the community is fairly old now. So they are talking about trying to get a new bridge built in that location. I am just wondering if the Minister will consider sitting down with myself and the hamlet to look at the engineering that might be required. Thank you for that. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't think we should rely on the road to resources. I think, as a government, we should take that stand and actually connect the three oceans together, Pacific, Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. Once you do that, you are opening up a whole new highway that is going to go from coast to coast to coast. If you do that, you are opening up...People will have jobs. The economy will be really hustling and bustling up there. I think we can't just rely on what the

federal government is saying. I think we should just get the feds to commit to the long-term dream of what goes back to what Diefenbaker dreamed when he actually went up to Inuvik to finish the Dempster Highway. I think we should continue that dream and continue to complete that road to Tuktoyaktuk from Inuvik and it will bring a lot of benefits back to the Beaufort-Delta, not only for Beaufort-Delta but people along the valley will utilize that some day. The tourists will always go up to Inuvik and they fly down to Tuk. If they build that road, they can drive all the way up. They can dip their toes in the Arctic like they want to do. In reality, I think we should try and get something done with that.

The discussion about the documents that we are talking about, it is a dream, but I think we should pursue that, put our foot down and pursue it. Let's get something done to complete the highway. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I was at that meeting when we had that meeting in Inuvik, Madam Chair. I am just wondering, we could talk about it in December, we are now into February and we are probably into a new year coming up now and I pretty well know the process of how to get the permits that are required for an access road. I would like to ask the Minister, Madam Chair, with regard to the 80-kilometre highway between Tuk and Inuvik, as I said earlier in my opening comments, I think Corridors for Canada II, Connecting Canada: Coast to Coast to Coast is one thing. I would like to ask the Minister has there been any headway to identify funding in their upcoming budget in March that the feds are going to come out with that they will actually put money into this Tuk-Inuvik highway? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Once again I would like to just bring up my concern regarding access to source 177 which is in line with the highway to Tuk and Inuvik. What kind of details can the Minister provide if there are any new discussions with the federal Minister of Transportation with regard to the Tuk-Inuvik highway?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have one quick question for the Minister. As I indicated in my general comments earlier, I think down the road Tuk and Inuvik are going to be really busy with the airports if the Mackenzie gas project goes ahead. I would just like to ask the Minister if he can indicate to me whether they will continue to keep that runway in Tuk to the 5,000 foot level...(inaudible)...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A few quick comments with regard to Transportation. I think it's very well known that since 1978 we've been talking about the Tuk-Inuvik highway. We're now in 2007 and we're still talking about it. You know, there's been a lot of money spent on the Ingraham Trail, or since I've been here for the last three years anyway. It seems like all of that money is being spent in the southern part of the territory. It always seems like the northern part is being left out in a lot of the project that can happen. Unfortunately, I understand the reason why and the people back home understand the reason why, because mainly we're looking at federal funding for new highways. Again, like I said, I've been here three years already. We've always been told first there was Corridors for Canada I, then they were talking Corridors for Canada II, now we're talking about Connecting Canada: Coast to Coast to Coast. To me, Mr. Chairman, I think it's mostly just talk. There's no action coming from the federal government. I respect the Minister presently, right now, and the previous Minister in Transportation, to really try to get funding for the Tuk-Inuvik highway, and we're only talking 80 kilometres basically. I think maybe $70 million, but again, that would be good money invested because you will make economic benefits to the people back home, you will employ people, people will pay taxes. So eventually the road will be built.

Also, Mr. Chairman, gravel source 177 is only 22 kilometres from the community of Tuktoyaktuk, and I'll bring it up again. That's gravel that the community really needs in order so that we expand infrastructure in the community. I don't know how much more the Minister can do, or the department, in trying to address this problem with the federal government. I think what we need to do now is just make sure that hopefully the Conservatives can put that in their upcoming budget that's supposed to come out on March 19th I think. I hope that they can do something with the resources and the infrastructure that we have up here, because I think it's important.

Mr. Chairman, it's also good to see that the Minister has identified seven apprentices in his department. I think they've done that in the past, years ago with the government. They always seem to have apprentices in their department and I think it's one step that we can get people online here for the potential Mackenzie gas pipeline.

Another area, Mr. Chairman, is I'd like to speak a little more in regard to the marine services. Tuk is well known, like Hay River is well known, for the NTCL terminal buildings. The federal government is talking right now about Canadian sovereignty and I think we should really press the federal government for infrastructure, and again, I'll bring it up, I think Tuk has good infrastructure for that. It's right in the Beaufort Sea. I guess the Canadian Army can utilize one of the camps and I always talk about the camps in Tuk, utilize that as a base. The infrastructure is there. That port is deep enough for their vessels to come in there and I think that it would be a good investment. It will not only help the residents in the Beaufort Sea, but you'd have access right from the west coast all the way down to the east coast. So I think that's a good investment that should be considered.

Another area of importance that the people in Tuk are talking about is in regard to the airport itself. It's a 5,000-foot airport. Right now they're maintaining it and they'd like to keep it maintained to the present level because I guarantee you if that pipeline goes through, industry will utilize Tuk and Inuvik as a base for operations for their personnel. I've seen it happening in the '70s; I've seen it happen when Dome Petroleum was operating, when Gulf...(inaudible)...was operating. They basically bypassed maybe even Inuvik at that time because they could land 737s. So that's another area of interest I'd like to make sure the government continue to pursue.

I just have a quick comment, Mr. Chairman, or a few more here. It's good to see that the department, I was looking at and like the chair earlier indicated that 23 new positions, but again there's a reason behind that because we know that. I think the question I have is the Minister indicated about four highway equipment operators, mainly because of the level of activity for the winter road, but again, do they still require those people after the winter road shuts down and where do those people go? That's another area for consideration.

Again, Mr. Chairman, I'd just like to say once again that again they've invested another $2 million for the Mackenzie Highway and Ingraham Trail. Again, it's disappointing for me and my constituents that you see all this money being spent in the southern part of the territory and nothing really for the northern part, and $13 million for the...(inaudible)...program on the Mackenzie Valley, which I understand the reason why it's being done again.

Just in regard to the bridge repairs, Mr. Chairman, I'd like the Minister to consider, I understand the hamlet of Ulukhaktok are looking at replacing the present bridge from the airport to the community. I think they should consider that, because I became aware of that just recently. I think that's just the general comments I have for now, Mr. Chairman. I will have questions once we get into the details. Thank you.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm just wondering, if we move forward with this proposed paper, consultation paper on SCAN, I'm just wondering when that will happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke in regard to the consultation paper on SCAN and my question is for the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Brendan Bell. I'd like to ask the Minister when and why did the Department of Justice decide to propose legislation on SCAN for the Northwest Territories? Thank you.