Floyd Roland

Indeed we know that any changes to our electrical structure rates and regulations will have an impact on the people we represent. We must have that discussion in this forum so that we know they are all aware of what the plan is and how we plan to move forward. There is a commitment that we will have that debate here. The Minister responsible will be providing further information on timelines. As I stated, if everything goes as we’ve anticipated, and the discussions and final plans are put in place, we could see changes going forward as soon as the next winter cycle.

The response that we’re working on will have to come forward here. Any structural change to the way the rates are set up will have to come through this Assembly. There will have to be a debate. As I stated, the timing right now is looking at probably our spring session as an opportunity, but we’re hoping that if all goes well, that we could be looking at changes, if this Assembly agrees to them, before the next winter season hits us.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be absent from the House today to attend promotional events related to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my understanding, again, through the rate review that’s been ongoing, the cost of service versus a rate of return is one of the areas that has been discussed and some recommendations made around when you look at the different zones that are being contemplated in that report. So that is an area of looking at cost of services versus rate of return. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, if we go back to that day of a fall session well over a year ago when I believe it was a theme day on the cost of energy in the Northwest Territories, there were statements and questions about the cost, delivery, structure and privatization. Talks came out or reported that that could be an initiative. From those talks, we started to look at a number of initiatives. Those are all before Members. We brought back to the table around that and that is the energy rate regulation review piece. We went to committee. We are working with committee on that response; the Power Corporation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe the rate review work that was done does highlight a number of areas that we could look at when it comes to the way we do business and how we’re structured across the board, and that would include the Power Corporation. For example, rate of return versus cost of doing business, in a sense, is one of those areas that could be looked at. The other work that we were doing is tied to this. We’re still wanting to sit down with committee to go over how we would look at the NTPC review itself. But more specifically, I believe there is opportunity in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The discussions with the representative of ATCO were ones around what we might be able to do when it comes to projects, specific initiatives in trying to move further along our interest as a government in expanding and delivering on increased hydro across the Northwest Territories. Minister Miltenberger did give an opportunity as to that discussion that happened at that time. We also did discuss the event of Copenhagen and climate change as well. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as for direct information, we, at the request of Members, set up a process so Members could be involved in those initiative committees, and that started to happen, but they’ve since changed their approach and said no to that. As I stated, the Strategic Initiatives committees start some of the work of what we will look at and what changes we can make, and then it becomes the Ministers responsible for the department. So, for example, in transportation, where that affects the cost of living in our communities across the Northwest Territories, on the size of planes that can come into...

Mr. Speaker, the whole process, as the Member pointed out earlier, between ourselves as a stakeholder or as the shareholder, the Power Corporation itself, our hydro entity, there are a number of partnerships out there now around our hydro with First Nations, as well, and aboriginal governments. There are a number of factors that would have to be considered. Again, that is the PUB side of things that is on another piece of legislation. When we talk about general rate applications that go out around delivering power across the Northwest Territories, there is promise made that that is fairly...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the area of the cost of living, as the Minister responsible for this area, strategic initiative, has highlighted, there are a number of workloads or processes we’ve put in place to deal with some of the cost of living issues that we recognize as a government. Transportation is a big one. Electricity generation and the sale of that is another large one. So we’re looking at a number of initiatives.

Specifically in the area of taxation, any initiative that a Minister leads on the strategic initiatives, they would go back to the department responsible and...