Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, the process that is in place right now is one, again, where the rate structure that’s in place is one the PUB operates under. We’ve heard one of the Members talk about community rate zones or postage stamp areas. In the last process when that issue was discussed, the Public Utilities Board stated that it would be up to the Assembly to decide what structures would be put in place. We couldn’t say for ourselves that we could direct the Power Corporation to lower rates in hydro communities alone. We would have to look at a structure through this forum here and decide if we want to...

Mr. Speaker, again, this area hasn’t been brought up to the same working level as the other strategic initiatives. We haven’t got the terms of reference. So that type of thing has not been looked at, at this stage. The Refocusing Government piece is looking at delivery and how we work with boards and agencies, but on the actual program delivery side this piece hasn’t been put into action as of yet. I’ll commit to Members that as we get this piece up and running, we’ll be sitting down with Members to give them what it’s starting to look like and get their input.

Mr. Speaker, the process we’re involved with incorporates more than just the Power Corporation itself. It takes in the whole gamut of power generation, distribution, regulation, the Territorial Power Support Program. That’s why we’re in the process here of coming up with a document. We should be ready, hopefully, before Christmas. We’ll be able to sit down with Members and go through the work that’s been done and what it entails and seek further direction from Members as well in that area.

Mr. Speaker, the fuel resupply is something we work with the Department of Public Works and Services, Petroleum Products Division on. We combined the services I believe a couple of years ago so that we can enjoy a better sale price, if we can put it that way, on bulk purchasing of our product and our storage facilities in communities. The unfortunate thing is that when resupply happened, it was at about the highest price of oil throughout the season. That’s a difficulty we face. Already the Power Corporation is having to deal with the higher prices from future years. That’s why a rate...

I contacted Members earlier on the strategic initiatives. It was one of the ones highlighted, so it would fall under the strategic initiatives category. We would look at that same sort of development as we go forward. Again, as Members had requested that we look at the makeup of that, that would also fall into that category.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m aware that the Member has asked the Chair of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee, but I can respond as well in this area. We sat down together and looked at those options of what work is being done. We’re in the early stages of setting out options around regulation and around power structures and so on.

I think it will be when we have that paper delivered to Members and start to discuss what Members would like to see happening, with options, for example, that Members have discussed here. We’re open to looking at a whole number of initiatives that can have a...

The metering situation that’s out there is done by the Power Corporation solely. The Housing Corporation doesn’t have that. If there’s any changing of meters, it would be through the Power Corporation itself. As I’ve stated, we will prepare information and bring it to Members for further discussion.

The fact is that the information provided goes through much scrutiny and is tested. It is not erroneous information. That’s the environment that we have to operate in, the existing framework. Members want to change that framework. As I’ve stated already, we are more than open to looking at changing the framework we operate in, and that’s across anything from the rates to the regulations to the structure. It is time that we as the Government of the Northwest Territories look to the future of what we can provide and how that provision of services affects the constituents in our communities.

Again...

The changing of meters isn’t as straightforward a process as just making a decision to do that. In fact, I would say that we would need to have a serious look at this. The Power Corporation does a business plan themselves and puts it together, so I’d be prepared to get a briefing note ready and provide that for the Members.

Mr. Speaker, the rate application has been put forward to the PUB; it’s being reviewed. We’ll expect a ruling on that and take the direction from that process.

The problems…. I mean, it’s not as simple as my declaring that that rate application be pulled. The simple fact is that right now, in our existing framework, the Power Corporation has to work within the legislation as regulated by the PUB and has to show and cover the cost of operation. It goes through that process. What we do as the GNWT outside of that is, for example, through the Territorial Power Support Program, where we match the...