Floyd Roland

As I stated earlier, I already approached my Territorial colleagues, and I approached the provincial Finance Ministers. We addressed it at the Finance Ministers’ meeting before Christmas, and I followed up with a letter, so we’re waiting for their response. I’ve been to the federal Finance department to see if they would be looking at it.

As well, for the record, as is pointed out by the Member, we’ve had our MP in Ottawa make mention of this, address it in Parliament. Unfortunately, the result from that process was not a positive one, and I’m not sure if that will have an impact on our...

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that during the normal review of our public accounts, the Auditor General looks at the accounts of this government and requests information from time to time when they see something they’d like to pay some attention to. The loan guarantee in this amount has been looked at and information has been requested, and we’re working with her office to provide that information.

I’ve also committed to Members to provide information around this project and am getting that together so that I can provide that information to Members.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, that work has been done. In my role as Finance Minister I’ve contacted Northern Premiers and then went beyond to other Finance Ministers across the country. At the meeting we had before Christmas with the Minister of Finance for Canada, Minister Flaherty, I put that on the table as well as followed up with a letter to him, and I’m waiting for a response.

Mr. Speaker, first let’s take care of one of the rumours that are out there. The reduction scenario that we’re planning to work around and targeting is not the funded Deh Cho Bridge project. Some have heard rumours out there, so let’s clear that out of the way.

The fact is that the legislation that was developed and passed through this House defined the parameters of the project. The parameters talked about a number of factors. Those factors have been made public, as we’ve heard already. Members have been briefed on a number of those areas.

There is a provision that would come back, for example...

Mr. Speaker, we can provide, from our side, the information and get it out there. It would be those communities that are affected by a decision like this — Providence, Yellowknife and some of the other communities. We can share that information.

When we talk about the overall project of $165 million, when you look at the government’s piece of it outside of the O&M cost…. When you look at that additional cost, at the end of 35 years the additional investment would be more in the area of $70 million, and tolls would be paying for the rest.

The cost of living is an important factor in the Northwest Territories, as I stated earlier. We do have to look at how we try to either slow the cost drivers that are involved in delivering energy in the Northwest Territories or, in fact, change the way we develop power.

There are a number of things we can look at, as I talked about: a continued expansion of hydroelectricity in the Northwest Territories; or, for example, when the Mackenzie pipeline is built, we can run gas in the communities and displace the diesel fuel that's being used, as a potential option.

One of the other areas, which the...

The high cost of energy is a serious issue in the North for a lot of our communities, smaller communities, as well as the forced growth costs of the government that we deal with. It is an area where we will have to do a review. We’ll have to look at options, and options will be presented, whether it is in rate structure or structure of our power support program — all of those factors would have to be reviewed and the options presented to Members to see where we go in this area.

I wish to advise Members that the Hon. Michael Miltenberger will be absent from the House today to attend a provincial and territorial housing ministers’ meeting in Vancouver.

The question is best put to ourselves, or at least myself, at this point.

The Public Utilities Board will review under existing conditions and operations. At one point, questions were asked about the PUB and a one-rate zone. The PUB has put it on record that they're working with the existing rate structure that's in place. If we're to change that, it would have to be directed from this level, this Assembly. That is something that would be looked at.

We have a number of factors. One of those is the strategic initiatives committee on reducing the cost of living. That will be looking at a number of...

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, in my sessional statement, I highlighted the number of areas that we are going to use as strategic initiatives that align themselves with the goals of this Assembly. As we find the revenues to reinvest, that would be combined through reducing overall expenditures of government — identifying dollars within departments that could be reinvested — our goal was to try to invest, starting this year, and building up over the life of this Assembly.

I’ll have to put a caveat on that. Depending on the choices we make and the quality or quantity of the overall number that we...