Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on some of my earlier questions on the Public Utilities Board, if I could. Specifically, I just want to start by confirming that it’s the responsibility of the Public Utilities Board to ensure the fair treatment of our citizens with regard to the safe and reliable provision of power and fair pricing of power. Is that correct?

I appreciate those comments from the Minister. I think this is timely; a lot of our public are calling for it. I’m wondering if included in that could be the whole relationship with the Public Utilities Board. I haven’t heard the voice of the Public Utilities Board in this government. I wonder if there’s a way we could bring them to the table and get their perspective on this whole business. I know they’re saddled with some responsibility for at least the financial end of the Power Corporation’s business.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on the questions for the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. Does the current review of electricity rates that is in process include a review of the Power Corporation performance, its corporate innovation and so on?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Instead, the record reveals a corporation with little innovation, one that pays out the highest bonuses and compensations we have despite some attempt at curtailment by our Public Utilities Board, and a performance that is flagging with lack of leadership. Let’s grab this bull by the horns, do the review and structure our power systems to be responsive and responsible to the needs of our citizens and our communities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Housing.

I appreciated his Minister’s statement on the EnerGuide 80 Program — very progressive. The one thing I noticed is that it’s actually for implementation in 2010. Everybody knows a dollar saved is a dollar earned. The same goes for greenhouse gas submissions. Why can’t we get going and get some of this implemented this coming year?

Mr. Speaker, I don’t disagree with that. I just think that what we should be discussing is whether those dollars for youth should be going strictly to sports or whether they should be going to sports plus arts and cultural programs.

Are arts organizations represented in this review that the sports and recreation organization is doing? If they’re not, then it’s hardly surprising what they would come out with. So can we get arts organizations — territorial arts organizations, regional arts organizations — participating with the Council of Sports and Recreation in doing that review?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of MACA, and it has to do with the lottery funds that I talked about in my Member’s statement earlier today. What would be required to get that reviewed and some of those funds from the lottery program going towards arts and cultural programs, rather than just to sports?

Mr. Speaker, the amount of money generated from lottery proceeds in the NWT was $3 million last year, a significant amount of money. Currently in the NWT proceeds of the Western Canada Lottery program are exclusively allocated to sports organizations. The NWT is the only jurisdiction in Canada that exclusively allocates lottery proceeds to sports. Alberta and British Columbia divide their lottery proceeds between many different organizations and causes, and the Yukon divides its proceeds between arts and cultural programs and sports programs.

The arts play a significant role in a community’s...

Would you commit to doing this in 2009?

I thank the Minister for those comments. I realize that’s probably a prudent approach, but I think the opportunity is there for at least some. Again, I’m not suggesting that we try and do this for every house. This is not new technology; it’s off the shelf. This was adopted a couple years ago by the City of Yellowknife. There’s lots of expertise available in this area. As the Minister has noted, other provincial and municipal jurisdictions have been doing this across the country. There’s not much engineering work that’s required here. This is really off the shelf.

I’d just like to encourage or...