Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment on the ATCO proposal regarding their participation as a power provider for the Northwest Territories.

I understand that the proposal is currently being reviewed and that we will eventually see the review and have our opportunity for input. My intent today is to offer some perspectives for consideration by Cabinet in both the review and the larger framework of energy planning for the NWT.

First, in recalling the theme day on the NWT Power Corporation, Members were expressing their dissatisfaction with the management and lack of...

Thank you for that, Mr. Chairman. Just to confirm, those 60 units, I think…Is it 34 or 38 that are scheduled for Ndilo and Dettah?

I’ll hold off for now.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for clarity here, this does not include the carry-over dollars from the Affordable Housing Initiative, for example for Ndilo and Dettah.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Actually, I’m just looking for clarification from the Minister. I didn’t understand his answer. I was asking about where we’re at with core needs, at meeting core needs and I think the Minister mentioned 36 percent in one area and 70-some percent in another area. I was asking about Ndilo and Dettah and the NWT as a whole. I’m not totally sure what those percentages refer to. Perhaps I could just get a clarification or a little bit of interpretation of what that actually means. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A very quick question for the Minister; on the $39.544 million, is that the amount of money that’s going from the Housing Corporation to ECE?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the work of this committee and I know they’ve given lots of thought and debate and discussion to this controversial recommendation. I do not support this motion and I don’t take the use of it by other governments, all of which engage in party politics, as a model that we should necessarily follow or a reason for following this model.

Primarily I find the use of such devices to be disruptive and to reflect a lack of due diligence and due degree of attention in the proceedings of the Committee of the Whole in this House. Ultimately, of course, the most...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Another issue that my constituents have brought forward involved in work, other people, is the issue -- and I may have brought this up last year and I don’t know what has happened on it -- but some LHOs, local housing organizations that achieve energy efficiencies, for example, and thus savings, they generate reduced costs, are then given budgets that are reduced the following year and are in effect being penalized for the efficiencies that they have gained. They would enjoy the opportunity to use those efficiencies the following year and maybe generate larger savings...

I very much appreciate that commitment on the part of this Minister. This is something that has been put through very speedily by the federal government, this particular federal government, in a low profile way that has prevented substantive input such as this. I’m wondering if the Minister would commit to making his department’s position on this clear for the public, as well, and my concerned constituents. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am sure the Minister gets this question in his travels, but I do have constituents that raise it with me, that work throughout the Northwest Territories in areas related to housing. When will the government bring back the HAP program and I wonder if the Minister can tell us if that is something that might be under consideration and/or if there is an equivalent program out there. But it certainly seems to be something that people are interested in. In particular, I think, part of the attraction for us should be the fact that, again, it helps increase the skills of the...