Michael Miltenberger

I first think it’s important to make a note or a point for the edification of people listening, and that is that if we didn’t have the diamond mines we would be short about $1.5 billion a year out of gross domestic product, and I can tell you, if we had that big a hole in our economy that we would be in a far more difficult and bitter position than we would ever think by the loss of those types of activities.

We need to make sure we work with industry to have sustainable, balanced development. The Minister of ITI talked about that in his Minister’s statement today. We mustn’t forget that we...

I appreciate the fact, the government has always appreciated the fact that there are far more needs than there are resources. There are two issues we have, two critical issues. First is we have to make sure that our expenditures don’t outstrip our revenues, and that is going to be a real challenge as we move forward, given some of the cost pressures. Then we have to make sure that we have processes to look at how we’re going to make critical investments in economic infrastructure, infrastructure that will create conditions for economic development.

Clearly, there are going to be a whole host of...

There is a very fragmented system in Alberta. BC has BC Hydro, which is their major power utility that has enormous sway over most of the province. But I would have to commit to get back to the Member. I don’t have any further information that I could just off the top of my head indicate what systems are in place in other jurisdictions, though I would say, clearly, in Ontario they have a utility and they are divesting themselves of some of their assets, and Manitoba Hydro, as well, is a very, very major utility in Manitoba. But I will commit to get back to the Member with the information.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A review was done of costs in Hay River, all the publicly available information that was there in regards to the services provided. Then they also did their own estimates of the cost of potentially running those systems of the Hay River franchise, as well, and put forward those numbers, and they were then brought forward and assessed by a Cabinet committee.

The Premier has indicated earlier today that consultants on the work that we did on the franchise agreement and whether we issued support to NTPC bidding was done in house. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I’ve indicated previously, the Town of Hay River has initiated a public process through a motion in their council on Monday for a public process to renew their franchise, and we, the Power Corporation, are going to submit a bid sometime before the call for proposals closes on July 3, 2015.

I would also point out that the Power Corporation is a Crown corporation owned by every man, woman and child in the Northwest Territories. We, in effect, have about 42,000 shareholders, and about half of those shareholders are Aboriginal, and about over 3,000 of them live in Hay...

I will limit my comments to making the observation that it’s a public process and I understand that the Town of Hay River has sent copies of the RFP to both ourselves, the Power Corporation, and to ATCO. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The interest of the NWT Power Corporation is very clear that on Monday the Town of Hay River passed a motion to initiate a public process for the renewal of their franchise, and we have indicated that we would take part in that public process. There is no broader issue other than that. I am aware of some of the concerns and angst and heartburn in different areas, in corporations, in board rooms and some of the Members of this House, but they are unfounded and ill-founded.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 50, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2015-2016, be read for the first time.

Since we are now post April 1st and we’re onto the path from devolve to evolve, clearly we’re going to design a system of land use and northern tools around Thaidene Nene around whatever federal footprint is there that are going to protect the interests of both the land and Northerners and respect third-party interests and will be designed in the North by Northerners for Northerners. Thank you.