Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s reply there. Some jurisdictions in North America are stockpiling fuel at today’s market price. Some are renting extra storage and realizing that these fuel savings trump storage costs.

If this is indeed the case, can the Minister indicate if his department is considering doing the same to keep stretching these savings to the residents? Thank you.

From the Minister’s own words, it sounds like some of this fuel is not yet in the community and it appears that the PWS fuel services’ buying strategy is using some form of hedging that they are applying and passing to the customers. This strategy would suggest that these fuel savings would extend well into next season’s bulk purchases as well.

Can the Minister elaborate? Are these fuel price savings being hedged over a two-year window? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to introduce, to you and through you, in reference to my Member’s statement earlier today, Mr. OpenNWT himself, from Range Lake, Mr. David Wasylciw. Thanks, Dave, for joining us today. Of course, I would like to welcome one of my pharmacist colleagues from Hay River, Ms. Julianne Fuller. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to welcome the Department of Transportation here today and specifically Mr. Auger for joining us for his last tour. He will be missed, for sure.

Mr. Chair, really in no particular order, there will be a number of things I will be bringing up in general comments and some of those I will be re-emphasizing in detail.

To the Minister’s opening comments: what caught my attention in terms of something that I applaud as being noble, but when I look at the expenditure and what they are spending money on, I had to question the validity; and that is the $163,000 to...

Even if we’re using the term “stabilization,” it’s still a form of a hedging because we’re balancing out those prices. Should this hedging concept produce even greater savings per litre with a new summer bulk purchase program and should fuel prices remain the same or stabilize, does the Minister see further reduction of the price per litre being passed on to the residents in these communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a motion to present to the House.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, committee. Committee, page 204, community social programs, grants, contributions and transfers, total contributions, $26.249 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Page 216, supplementary health programs, grants, contributions and transfers, total contributions, $21.890 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Energy is now a new activity within the Public Works and Services department which combines fuel service functions of the former petroleum products division. Fuel services manages the purchases, transportation and storage of petroleum products in NWT communities not serviced by the private sector. As such, these fuel services also established the credit, invoicing, collection and financial planning for these communities.

In essence, the consolidation of the energy functions within the GNWT Public Works and Services department was to have the goal of effective and...