Louis Sebert

Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure I heard the question completely. I can advise that the corporation and its board will be tasked with attempting to reduce costs. I don’t actually have a plan nor do they have a plan in mind, but that is simply part of the normal corporate responsibility of keeping costs in line, particularly as I say when we are in a situation where you’re not increasing sales. There are ongoing efforts all the time to reduce costs. I’m not aware of a specific plan to reduce costs, but clearly that’s a corporate and board of directors’ responsibility.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. The corporation is always looking at new projects and ways of becoming more efficient. There is, of course, a new board in place and I believe they’ve had some preliminary discussions, but their first meeting I think is only next week. They will be tasked with, as I mentioned earlier, looking at the whole of the corporation; looking at ways that can become more efficient and more productive. We also, however, will still be looking at new technologies to enhance the technologies we already have but always keeping in mind that we must attempt to supply power at a reasonable...

Mr. Speaker, this government has made the commitment through its mandate to support the RCMP and communities in their efforts to strengthen partnerships to prevent and respond to violence. The annual policing priorities which I set for the RCMP support this work. As in previous years, the priorities for 201617 continue to focus on the need for policing plans to be developed collaboratively by the RCMP with each community in the Northwest Territories. The priorities now go further and direct the RCMP to also have action plans for each community which will assist with targeting and bringing...

As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, there is no specific plan at this time to reduce costs; there’s always attempts to reduce costs. However, I will have discussions with the board and be giving direction to them in several areas, so certainly that is an area that I could bring back to this House if there is a specific request made by me through consultations with the people in this room, the Cabinet and so on. I don’t think there’s any specific planned reductions at this time apart from the normal ongoing corporate responsibility of keeping costs in line.

Mr. Speaker, the corporation is always looking at reducing costs; clearly that’s very important, particularly as I mentioned the other day that the amount of sales in the sense of the amount of power being sold seems to be constant or actually in decline. To avoid further large increases in rates we must look, and they must look, for efforts to reduce any costs they do have. Clearly, the new board will be tasked with that responsibility but I think senior management is well aware of that responsibility also and has taken efforts to reduce costs as much as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize RCMP chief superintendent Ron Smith in the gallery today. He was appointed as the chief superintendent of “G” Division in 2014 after progressing through multiple northern ranks over the last 20 years. We will be sorry to see him go, but wish him the best as he leaves later for a summer placement in Ottawa, not only for the summer, but ongoing. Sorry. He goes with our gratitude for a job very well done. Thank you. I would also like to recognize Leon Peterson and Beatrice Campbell. Leon is the current president, and Bea Campbell, past president of the NWT...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a result of two consecutive low-water years, the Power Corporation sought expressions of interest in November of 2015 with a closing date of February 5, 2016. They received 29 expressions. At that point, the Power Corporation and the government and Arctic Energy Alliance evaluated the proposals and decided not to proceed to the next step which would have been a request for a competitive procurement. they were simply seeking expressions of interest. It was not cancelled by the government. Twenty-nine were submitted. They were found not to be economic so it didn’t...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There seem to be a lot of questions in that question. I don’t think the Power Corporation is currently contemplating any large hydro developments that will flood communities. If they are, they haven’t informed us on this side of the House. The corporation is committed, of course, to providing reliable power to all of our communities. In fact, there are initiatives to encourage people to reduce their power bill. It is, in some ways, difficult for the corporation because, as people conserve power and use less, they receive less revenue. We are committed to providing safe...

As the House heard last week, we will be proceeding with a new energy plan. The Premier spoke to that before the House last week. As a Crown corporation, the Power Corporation will play a critical role in the proposed energy plan. We already play a critical role in the development of alternative and renewable energy systems, including the recently opened Colville Lake plant. There are also solar plants in Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, and Wrigley. Hydro itself is a renewable resource, a green source of power. As the energy plan is rolled out, the Power Corporation will play an integral role in its...

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the deputy ministers do have two roles in the sense that apart from their usual responsibilities they also will be directors of the corporation. The energy plan will be rolled out in the next few months as the Premier mentioned last week. I am confident that the directors of the Power Corporation will be able to fulfill that role and also their usual role as deputy ministers.