Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to return to some of my questions earlier today regarding the power outage that we had on December 29th of 2013. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the purview of looking at Hansard, so I’ll get those tomorrow. I find that earlier today I was rather at the Minister’s mercy and convenience to some of the quasi attempts and answers that we didn’t get, but I wanted to further some questioning regarding the initial incident when the initial power failure occurred.

Was there any failure of equipment, automatic failure of equipment for generators to start us? Was there any...

Thank you. I’m unaware that we get our directions from the Chamber of Commerce when it comes to our business. But that letter was good, indeed enlightening to read here.

Can the Minister indicate if the concept of an income-tested or a contingency fund disaster relief directly associated with such things as an extended power outage at extreme cold temperatures has ever been discussed with this government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I raised the issue of unresolved property damages in Yellowknife, Behchoko and Detah in the wake of an extended power outage on December 29, 2013. As indicated conservatively, 231 residents did come forward with approximately $350,000 in damages directly related to this outage. Now, I realize that regulated public utilities in Canada are not permitted to reimburse customers for property damage caused by weather-related incidents or acts of God. However, I believe in Inuvik some years ago a power surge caused significant damage to which NTPC took ownership...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s great to be back in the House.

I want to bring everyone back to Sunday, December 29, 2013, when the lights went out in Yellowknife, Behchoko and Detah at approximately 3:40 p.m. Like many, I scrambled to light my fireplace, my gas stove, my kerosene emergency heaters, and light my candles while my thermometer outside showed minus 40 Celsius.

While social media was abuzz with emergency tips and suggestions and updates from stakeholders – but not from NTPC, I must add – many, including myself, could only wait patiently hoping for the power to be restored. For over...

Okay, so now we’re getting somewhere. We did have some feeder problems. If we agree that we did have some issues regarding the system failures, can the Minister elaborate how many other system failures occurred during the three-hour outage? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I thought. Given that the reported damages of almost $2 million, and given the fact that we heard today that faulty equipment is to blame for NTPC’s diesel generators not working property, and given that this government has not performed any cost accounting with this recent disaster, how can the Minister sit here in this House and indicate very little to satisfy public outcry for financial help? What is this Minister prepared to do to mitigate the situation? Thank you.

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I’d first like to thank the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Alfred Moses, for seconding this motion allowing this debate to occur.

Mr. Speaker, this motion today is a culmination of some hands-on exposure, the first of which stems from my experience in accompanying local RCMP and municipal enforcement division officers during a number of summer ride-alongs. It was evident early on that the opportunity of expanding the scope of practice for municipal enforcement officers in the area of alcohol-related infraction clearly would have been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with Motion 6-17(5) which I gave notice of yesterday.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a number of documents here in support of the notice of motion I gave yesterday on strengthening municipal enforcement liquor laws. I also have a number of letters of support of that same motion from Yellowknife city councillors Niels Konge, Rebecca Alty and Linda Bussey.