Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Can the Minister of Transportation inform me of any discussions the department has had recently with the federal government on dredging?

My next question is: Has the department assessed the dredging needs throughout the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I discussed in my Member’s statement about dredging, my question today would be to the Minister of Transportation. Does the territorial government have any dredging plans in the Northwest Territories currently?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to bring up the issue of Hay River’s harbour, because most of you know that Hay River is a natural transportation hub. Hay River is the start point for a lot of the barging and tugboats that go up or down the Mackenzie. The harbour is important to commercial vessels, commercial fishing and recreation uses. We have a Canadian Coast Guard based there as well.

The federal government once dredged the harbour to clear the silt that came down the Hay River. The federal government no longer dredges the harbour. The growing sandbars are making it more difficult to come into the harbour. The local fishermen and their 50-foot boats are sometimes hitting bottom in rough water.

Members and the public will recall in 2008 when we had a flood in the Vale Island area. Residents of Hay River have taken the time with the impacts of the sandbars. Six members of the Hay River Flood Mitigation Committee are taking the proactive approach to flooding. They have come up with a variety of options and one of those options is determining the costs of dredging.

In today’s day and age, with improving equipment and technologies and expertise, we should be able to dredge this harbour. The opportunity is building capacity for the North and Hay River. Hopefully we will be able to use and maximize some of our local contractors in this area. The federal government still has jurisdiction over the NWT waterways and we should pressure the federal government to implement some of the dredging in the Hay River area. The Government of the Northwest Territories needs to consider the Hay River harbour when it is planning to spend money in the upcoming years. Thank you.

Is the government committed to spending additional dollars in this situation for many communities in the Northwest Territories that don’t have doctors in their communities? Thank you.

Is the territorial government working with the federal government to get any additional dollars to alleviate this problem? I know it’s not just a territorial problem, that they’re having the same difficulties in the provinces.

Does the territorial government currently have any money in the budget to do this, or is this a future process?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement, Hay River does not currently have any permanent doctors. My question is for the Minister of Health. What is the territorial government doing to assist local health authorities to recruit permanent doctors?