Joe Handley

Mr. Speaker, my information now is that the stabilization funds that we have in the Power Corporation have adequate flexibility to be able to accommodate for the higher prices for the time being, so we don’t have to pass it off to customers. Mr. Speaker, at some point, when the maximum stabilization funds are reached, then we may have to go for what’s called a rate rider to increase power. At that point, then we would have to look at issues like the Member is referring to, but it’s not a decision the Power Corporation would make itself. It would to take this to the Public Utilities Board...

Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to halt the process because this has been an ongoing consultation since October 2001, when Minister Allen at the time began the process. There have been a number of consultations that have been held. Some of them seem to not have reached the people that they should have. It’s been a long consultation process. I’m not tied, as I said yesterday, to a June 18th date. That was thrown out as being the date for implementation of this. But I do want to continue to work toward coming up with a board that represents all the sports organizations and volunteers and people who...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northwest Territories would be proud of the achievements of a lot of our people, both in sports and recreation. We do have challenges though, as many Members have mentioned in this House, of having a fair distribution of opportunity for people, particularly from the small communities. So the one challenge that the proposed board would have would be to work to ensure that our small communities and remote communities have fair opportunity to take advantage of the sports and recreation activities that are available to northerners.

Second, Mr. Speaker, is to ensure that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the mover and the seconder for providing an opportunity to debate this important point. With that said, Members of Cabinet will be voting against this motion and we take this position for a number of quite practical reasons.

First of all, Mr. Speaker, keeping with the spirit of intent of settled land claims and self-government agreements, as well as ongoing negotiations, the GNWT has chosen to work in partnership with aboriginal leaders to pursue expanded jurisdiction over land, water and resources in the Northwest Territories through devolution...

Mr. Speaker, no, at this point in time we do not have plans to move to a one-rate system. That’s something we may, in this assembly, want to look at. I am not sure. There are no definite plans to do it. In the longer term though, we would certainly want to consider trying to achieve that goal. Mr. Speaker, I should also point out that we do, at this time, set the prices in all of the diesel communities based on the Yellowknife price or cost of power per kilowatt for the first 700 kilowatts for all residents. That is enough to run all but larger homes, so I would hope that residents would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly we are monitoring what is happening with fuel prices. I might also mention, Mr. Speaker, that throughout the North in the communities with diesel powered generators, we do have a power stabilization program in place that ensures that customers are not subject to the rise and fall of prices on a continual basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a lot of sport organizations in the Northwest Territories. In fact, there are five main groups that are represented in the discussions and in the proposed board and those, as we know, include the Sport North board itself, the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the Western Arctic, the Beaufort-Delta Sahtu Recreation Association, the NWT Recreation and Parks Association, and the Mackenzie Recreation Association.

Mr. Speaker, as well, I may point out that the Sport North board does involve or include 27 territorial sports organizations in itself. So there has been a lot...

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased and honoured to meet with the Sahtu leadership to discuss this issue further with their MLA and look at how we might work together on it.

Mr. Speaker, that issue has come up before and our government is currently looking at the workload. We have to keep an eye on our fiscal situation as well, and our capacity as a government, and also the workload that will be generated doesn’t warrant a separate office. That is being reviewed right now as we speak. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have an emergency statement. Mr. Speaker, since the House met yesterday, I have been provided with new information concerning the conduct of the Honourable Henry Zoe at the Royal Canadian Legion on the evening of May 15, 2004. I have been able to verify this information with those involved in the incident. In light of the new information this morning, I have relieved Mr. Zoe of his responsibilities as Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and as Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board.

Mr. Speaker, those of us who have the privilege as serving as a Member of...