Bob Bromley

Thank you, Madam Chair. The regional hydro and renewable energy solutions with respect to the Sahtu, I know there were some efforts going on there. Can we get an update on where the Sahtu is at with regard to the interest, particularly Deline? There have been some investments over the years. Just an update on that would be appreciated. Thank you.

I’m wondering, just to go a step further, that sounds logical, but to go a step further, is there an opportunity to look at the payback, given what the local costs of energy are, and select those that will give the quickest payback. I’m just thinking of trying to make the most efficient return to the corporation investments here.

Once again, is the assets system on stream and operational now? Thank you.

My last point is we are slacking off on expenditures here. We need to continue to invest in this area. I think we need to add, I think the Minister needs to add to the budget here. What’s really needed is a fund to work with our businesses and industry in a way that can be significant in helping them play a role in renewable energy development. What would the Minister do if he had some additional half million or million dollars here that’s in line with that pursuit?

Thanks. I appreciate that. Thanks to the Minister. Just on that, where are we in the implementation of that new system? I mean, I think we have great hopes for that, and we’re finally going to see things very transparently and in one spot. Thank you.

Madam Chair, I just want to follow up a little bit here. The Minister mentioned, I think yesterday, the $9 million being spent on the Territorial Power Subsidy Program, and in addition to that, the $34 million over four years. I think the first year was $17 million. I think the next year was $9 million, or something like that, anyway descending as electricity rates go up and the public begins to catch up with the rates, which I appreciate the gradual approach there.

Did the Minister work with his colleagues to capture the difference in annual expenditures? For example, $17 million and next year...

Mr. Chair, I’m having problems finding the infrastructure acquisition. Is there a line item on that here? Sorry.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d say the energy planning role of this government is one of our most vital roles and, unfortunately, the challenges are so huge that we have made very little progress in this area. I’m very disappointed to see that our funding has continued to decline, I think, $4 million a couple years ago and a couple million last year, and for this current year it’s down another half a million or so.

I think there are some fundamental issues that we should have been able to address that we haven’t. An example, certainly, is that incredibly we are still spewing megawatts of...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I noticed the mortgage principal and interest amounts going down steadily over the years. Maybe I can just get an explanation. If these are what we are carrying, is this related? Like, these are under other expenses so it doesn’t seem to be the grants and contributions aspect. Maybe I can get an explanation of that. Thank you.

I know committee’s looking forward to that offer for information. What I’m specifically asking, recognizing that this is apparently the best educational system in the world, they were where we are now, they moved to address that and now they’re the best in the world. Will the Minister specifically have his department look at the Finnish system and bring to us the results of that review and what could work in the Northwest Territories? I know social passing and so on, and many of the things that are brought up today are addressed in that Finnish system.

Thanks to the Minister for that good news. I think it would be useful if the Minister could provide an update to all of us really, probably in our respective ridings, on where we’re at. Maybe by community it would be useful for us to once again get on top of that. Just sort of a parallel question, if I could get a similar update of how our LHOs are doing knowing that those are related issues, but I know some of the LHOs have gone through real bottlenecks and difficulties with paying for utilities and so on and working within their budgets. If I could maybe get an update there. Thank you.