Michael Miltenberger

Given the Member’s concern about gilding lilies and dealing with platitudes, I would be very interested to know what specific suggestions that he would have to provide that relief that’s not already being considered or done, and we would give them very serious consideration.

There are rate increases going on across the land. Pick a province. We are all challenged with the cost of energy. We are very cognizant about the impact of the cost of energy on the cost of living in the Northwest Territories. We are designing ourselves as a corporation and a government to try to address that issue. We want to work with individuals, businesses, corporations and communities to do all the things necessary when it comes to energy efficiency, conservation, building standards, alternate energy. But there is no doubt that the cost of energy is continuing to rise, especially as we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pursuant to Section 32(1)(2) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document, titled “List of Inter-Activity Transfers Exceeding $250,000 for the Period April 1 to December 31, 2013.” Thank you.

No, it hasn’t, and because the position of the government at this point is that what is currently in place is sufficient.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If it hasn’t been all done, it will be done. I haven’t got the final costs yet.

The intent is to have a made-in-the-North regulatory regime that brings together the regulatory authorities, both the oil and gas through water and minerals, lands, with ITI, ENR and the Lands department. We intend to be very thorough, very rigorous, and we want to coordinate our efforts. There is going to be responsibilities that require the various regulatory agencies and bodies to respond as regulators. There are going to be some requirements for technical responses. We are going to look very thoroughly at all of those project applications that come in and we will, in fact, provide that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am aware that there are a wide range of views about hydraulic fracturing. I’ve been a recipient of some correspondence through the Council for Canadians, for example, expressing their concern. I do read the newspapers, listen to the news, and talk to people, and yes, I have heard some of those concerns and I believe I do understand them.

I would suggest to the Member that if we weren’t contributing the $13.8 million that we were to cushion the rate increases over the last couple of years and the next coming years that the impact would be dramatically different, and, yes, the Rate Stabilization Fund, which hasn’t had an increase in five years, requires some replenishment, once again, tied to the cost of energy. We are continuing to do all the things that we can, both as the Power Corporation and as a government, to invest millions to branch out into alternate energy, the issues I’ve already answered in the previous question...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve committed as a government in addition to what the Power Corp’s generating through rates of $33 million to cushion the rate increase since there’d been no rate increase for five years. That’s a distinct investment. As well, we are working into all sorts of areas right to alternate energies. We looked at ways to try to address some of the energy costs. Part of the hope of the grid build-out, as well, is more efficiency and economies of scales that would connect the north and southern grids. We would look to try to continue our investments in solar and those other...

Given the prodigious appetite we have in the North for things like junk food, if there was a definition that was agreed to and a tax that was agreed it, it would maybe generate an initial spike of revenue, but if the Member’s rationale proved out, then the demand would drop off precipitously. But it could be, if all the stars aligned. Thank you.