Thank you. I really wish we had an expert on the act here today because the act only gives a reactionary power. What is the government willing to do to provide proactive powers to do investigations that protect consumers, protect working families, especially in the area I’ve highlighted, such as gasoline, payday loans and cellphone contracts, that put Northerners first? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m rising on the heels of my Member’s statement, which I want to continue the questions about working for the everyday family, which, of course, cost is pretty tough on them. Speaking to the question of gasoline, payday loans and cell phone contracts, heavy scrutiny needs to be put on these things.

So my question is to somebody over there in Cabinet, I’m not sure to who we will direct the question to, but the question is: What powers and opportunities avail themselves to the consumer affairs division to deal with these types of problems to demonstrate there is...

Mr. Speaker, I would think Northerners would want to know, especially the Department of Health and Social Services, that we can point to that these programs have been successful in some form or matter in other jurisdictions through their implementation when trying to deal with alcohol and drugs. Is the Minister able to point to anywhere that these types of programs have been successful? Because I believe we need to provide options. I’m not against them. I just want to see that they’re working in the right, appropriate areas.

Is he able to point to any successful indicators whether they’re stats...

Is the Minister able to speak to actual results of these types of programs where they have worked and cite any examples, because as I understand it, Nunavut shut down their mobile treatment program because they didn’t think it worked or solved the problems they were striving for.

I would ask the Minister what success he can point to these two particular programs where they demonstrate they’re worth investing in and, again, solving alcohol and drug treatment problems.

Thank you for recognizing me, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be directed to the Minister of Human Resources. I won’t go on at length, but we all know about the 1,150 vacancy snapshot information provided by the Minister a few days back. We also know, and I’ll remind the House, that the Finance Minister is being quoted quite eloquently about the 571 jobs they’re pursuing. Mr. Dolynny put on the record today that, of course, he made note that the Department of Health and Social Services has now suspended their human resource campaign to get more people there.

My question for the Minister of Human...

The Minister continues to talk about these wonderful platitude solutions. At the end of the day, they’re wonderful. Yes, I agree. But, frankly, they do nothing for the everyday taxpayer and certainly working families trying to get by. The Economic Opportunities Strategy, again, recently said that the power rates are holding Yellowknife back. It’s a negative, not a positive.

What is the NWT Power Corporation doing to ensure that we can keep our power rates low, because right now, as we all know, there’s a new application before the PUB to further increase them. We should be working to push these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When mortgage costs are certainly eclipsing the costs of running a household when it comes to heat, power and certainly water, something has to be done. Furthermore, we have to find a way to help our northern people because there’s just, frankly, no way we’re going to ever attract anybody and it’s hard enough to keep the people we have here.

My first question to the Minister is: What can he do, as Power Corp Minister, to help reduce our power rates that continue to rise at the direction of the NWT Power Corp?

Mr. Speaker, I don’t care if it’s a team effort to answer the question. The point is the questions need to be answered, and the question is this: How many vacancies do we have out there that are not being filled? We’ve all heard this great number of 1,150 positions been vacant for various reasons, 571 actively pursuing. We have a website now that says, by the way, hiring practices are now suspended.

How many positions are out there vacant, not being pursued, and are we putting Northerners at risk whether in a big community or small community? We’ve got people fighting for people in their...

On the website it says recruitment and retention programs are being suspended effective immediately.

What is the Minister of Human Resources doing to ensure that this is not happening across the departments, across this government? Are we putting Northerners at risk? What is the Minister of Human Resources doing about this?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister can continue to gild the lily on this problem but it’s not changing the fact that the everyday ratepayer can’t afford their power bills. People are leaving and there’s no way we’re going to attract people here to the Northwest Territories.

The last thing I’m going to say is there’s the old saying, death by a thousand cuts, and I think the everyday ratepayers had 999 of them and they cannot take one more. The question to the Minister is: He talked about the Stabilization Fund, is it not time to continue to focus in on other solutions that deliver immediate respite to...