Kieron Testart

I can't see the Minister's shoes under his desk, but I assume they're dancing shoes, because he didn't quite answer the question. I asked him why he has eliminated the independence of the board and combined it with management, which undermines the credibility of the Power Corporation. Northerners are frustrated to see their power rates continue to rise, and have no trust in this organization. The Minister has further damaged that trust by this decision. So will the Minister at least commit to re-visiting these decisions and installing an independent board that can direct the corporation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the recent climate change audit reveals, we have a large task before us in addressing our climate change goals and objectives, and also transitioning to a clean energy economy. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation serves an important role there, and I'd like to ask the Minister responsible today if he can respond to a few of the decisions he's made around the governance of that corporation.

In 2005, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat released a report called the Review of Governance Framework for Canada's Crown Corporations. In there, they define a Crown...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that this is something that the Chief Electoral Officer recommended. I think the committee has taken an important step in recommending that we do some work before making those kind of changes. In other jurisdictions they vary, but often the central election body or the provincial election body does send teams in to support municipal level elections, and that can be very helpful when you may have a situation where the chief administrative officer of a municipality is also the returning officer and, if there is a dispute over the results, they have to basically act...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, too, want to commend the work of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures. This committee has met extensively throughout the life of this Assembly, and has had many meetings on many matters that have been brought before it, and they have helped clarify everything from our code of conduct, guidelines, to the Mid-Term Review, and ultimately this is the last large piece of work that they have undertaken, and it was a substantial piece of work.

I also want to mention the Chief Electoral Officer has brought forward a very substantial work on her own initiative, and it...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I suppose that is a conversation as if and when it happens. I do know that discussion over the future of MTS is still a conversation that we have yet to have, but it's not the right place to have it here. All I will say is that I thank the Minister for clarifying this budget line item and taking the necessary steps to remove it and pay for the Syncrolift facility from the revolving fund, which is appropriate based on the establishment of that revolving fund. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the Minister for that response. I'm glad to see this is a timing error. It's important we follow through where financial authority is granted and where it flows from. My further question is: how much money is currently in the MTS revolving fund? Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 2-18(3) Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 3, 2017-2018, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 2-18(3) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last seven years, it would appear that Northland's rates have gone down by 1.8 per cent, and NTPC's have skyrocketed at 48 per cent, and we're still looking at an increase. Maybe it's a smaller increase. Perhaps the board could have been paid less or given less resources. The Minister has said he's working on governance. He's also talking about a 20-year strategic plan. When is the governance review going to be complete, and when is that plan going to come forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I was looking for something a bit bolder than kind of boilerplate strategic goals like that. Clean energy is a demanding task in the Northwest Territories. It's going to take time and effort, and I think the board of directors is key in this role. This report also goes on to state that "best practices dictate that to be effective, directors must approach their work objectively and with decision-making independence. This independence helps establish a board's credibility and supports sound governance and effective accountability. For these reasons, corporate governance best practices require...