Jane Groenewegen

Mr. Speaker, it still seems like a scattered approach to me and in the process we are doing damage in the fact that we are creating uncertainty again amongst a group of people who are starting to talk about, if this is the government’s first response to MLAs saying that we need cheaper power rates in the Northwest Territories, it’s an overreaction. We should first of all look at whether or not Power Corp operates too arms-length from the government and if there are opportunities to bring it in. Just the fact that somebody can walk up and throw a proposal on our desk and we will then devote...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my questions to the Premier today with respect to the ATCO proposal that… just to put it in a little bit of context, Mr. Speaker, we asked this government to look at supplementary health benefits so that the working poor can be looked after. We get a response that takes drastic measures on a whole lot of other people. We agree in the strategic planning that we want an efficient and an effective government and we get a proposal back from this government to wipe out virtually every board in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, we stand up on a theme day and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to support the motion, Mr. Chairman, for now. If I find anybody is not listening to me when I am talking and they are looking at their computer, then I will have to rethink my support. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Premier commit to not taking any further action on this unless a proposal or resolution does come from the Dene National Assembly to this government, at which time would he please ask us what we would think of our government perhaps leading an initiative on something like this? I don’t know how that would all take place, but I think it does bear some discussion as a full Caucus.

I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in some of the constitutional forums of the past, starting with the Western Constitutional Forum way back when chaired by Mr. Robert McQuarrie. These are huge undertakings and I kind of had the impression that we were kind of making it up as we went along here today. I’m a little bit unnerved with that, just given some of the other priorities we need to focus on right now. We’ve got some huge economic issues out there in the Northwest Territories. We’ve got some huge cost of living issues. I guess I just don’t want to give people out there in the...

Mr. Speaker, I just think we can’t afford to chase down every trail without first looking at the fact that we own the Power Corporation and perhaps there are things that could be done, not just with the Power Corporation, but through other energy conservation. It’s a complex problem.

Mr. Speaker, we keep calling the ATCO proposal the unsolicited proposal. I just want to get to the bottom of was there a meeting between any representative of this government and ATCO that transpired prior to the unsolicited proposal being presented? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, to devote resources to the extent that we have committed to examine the unsolicited proposal from ATCO is a decision in and of itself, because it’s not the only option. Another option would have been to take a look at the Power Corporation and do some kind of an analysis of their operations to see, first of all, if there was any way we could do anything differently, smarter, effectively, efficiently, that could have translated into lower power rates for people of the Northwest Territories. Why wasn’t that option considered? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I bring this motion forward today as the chair of the Priorities and Planning committee. This motion as put together by all Members of the P and P committee and I merely bring it forward as their chair. To that end I will conclude the debate on this motion, but I would defer to my colleagues to begin to speak to the motion and I will speak at the end.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.