Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m able to speak as the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation to what is within the purview of the Power Corporation, which is the rates that we have set, the thermal zone and the hydro zone, the rates being subsidized to the Yellowknife rate for our residences at a 700 kilowatt an hour cap and those types of things. I’m not in a position to speak on the NUL what I understand the Member’s asking about or anything that’s not within the specific purview of the Power Corporation. Thank you.
Is the Minister able to speak to the range of dollar value that, for example, our power distributors earn each year? It’s my understanding that they take at least several multi-million dollars out of the year due to profits and they provide to their insatiably hungry companies that are looking for profit. So maybe is the Minister in a position, as Minister of the NWT Power Corporation, with his familiarity with that type of issue and number so we can work from there? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that we do have a rule in this House that speaks to attacking or making derogatory remarks about a person or an entity that is not in a position to defend themselves on the floor of this House, and I’ve heard Mr. Hawkins refer to a private company that’s been in the Northwest Territories for over 70 years as a private company. I’ve heard him refer to them as a southern company. I’ve heard him refer to them as having an insatiable appetite for profit, and profit hungry and things like this.
Now, I’m just saying that this company that he’s referring to is not represented by the Minister and not here in this Chamber to defend themselves against derogatory or unsubstantial comments like that, so I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, to please, I guess, ensure that that rule that we have of not attacking people who are not present be upheld.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Hawkins, would you like to comment on that point of order?
Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure Mrs. Groenewegen has a point of order. First of all, the company isn’t particularly named. Second of all, the profits that they’re able to make are listed through the PUB process, so that is public information, and when they’re earning millions and millions of dollars one can describe it with whatever adjectives they reasonably feel.
That said, Mrs. Groenewegen should also come clear with her connection, if there is any that we need to get on the record, a reason why she is defending the company. I don’t understand what may or may not be, but a few minutes ago I was accused of lying and now I’m being heckled on the side on my concerns, on my choice of adjectives when it comes to the cost of living.
That said, in summary, I’m not sure, other than being interrupted when I’ve been trying to do my statement and my questions, I’m not sure there’s a point of order because I didn’t specifically accuse anyone of falsehood or terrible things.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I reminded Members at the start of the day before we began, so let me again remind you of your responsibly as Members of this Assembly to adhere to the rules that we have adopted. You have agreed to carry out the work with integrity and honour of the respect and dignity of this institution. We serve for our constituents and they depend on us to do our jobs here in this Assembly.
I have two points of order today already. I’m going to take that last point of order under advisement and I’ll report back next week with my decision.
Second of all, with regard to the questioning for the Ministers, they should be questions to the Minister who has authority of the department, and make it short and sweet in regard to the questioning and respectful to one another.
Moving on from there, the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would request the indulgence of the Speaker and the House. Listening to the debate on the point of order, I’m not sure if the Member’s comments triggered a point of order and the question that he asked me. Am I still trying to answer that same question?
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins, would you rephrase your question to the Minister?
That’s fine, Mr. Speaker. I’ll just keep trucking along. My concern is trying to find out what the value is on the public record so we can talk about these types of things. The issue I’m really trying to drive at is are there opportunities for other distributors such as the NWT Power Corporation who doesn’t require to make a profit on the distribution rather than cover the cost, and that’s what I’m fundamentally driving towards. What is in the best interests of Northerners, and that’s the issue, is how do we distribute power in the most efficient and cost-effective way? Is there a door opening for the NWT Power Corporation to be the distributor of power in the North?
The broad issue that has generated this debate and the one that we have been looking at as a government and the Assembly and what the charrette was focused on was the cost of living and the need to bring down the cost of energy, the need to look at things like roads and creating the conditions for economic development. The broad discussion of how we’re structured to deliver energy is an important one. The distribution side, the transmission side, for us, currently, as the Premier indicated, there is a franchise request possibly coming out from the Town of Hay River, and as the Premier indicated, we’re looking very carefully at all the questions related to what that issue and what involving the Power Corporation in that franchise bid would possibly mean territorial-wide. Hay River is not just an isolated entity. We need to have those very careful considerations and do due diligence as we look at that, but we also need to keep in mind the broader discussion that is driving us, which is what do we do to drop the cost of living in all the communities, both the hydro zone and the thermal zone. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Northwest Territories government was to eliminate any outside distributors and, at the time, the reason I ask this question is because I’ve been talking to the department about this one. So, what analysis has been done if we eliminate the outside distributors, therefore we don’t necessarily need a PUB and we roll the NWT Power Corporation into a department? Now, normally you describe this as a hypothetical, but this is work I know the department has been reviewing and evaluating. Where would this take us and what’s the predicted or estimated cost of lowering the power rates? Could we peg that around to a figure of some sort so Northerners have an understanding? If we make changes to the system, what benefits would be driven out of that? Thank you.
Those are questions currently under review, not exactly the way the Member has phrased them in terms of a formal department or getting rid of all the distributors other than the Power Corporation. We are doing due diligence on those questions and I’m not in a position at this point to answer specifically because we haven’t concluded the work. Those are complex questions. There are economic questions; there are regulatory questions; there are policy questions and legal questions that we have to be clear in our minds before we formally stand up and take a final position on that issue, but that work is going to be considered so that we can in fact make as an informed decision as possible. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 20-17(5) asked by Mr. Dolynny on October 17, 2014, to the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Finance, regarding Northwest Territories debt.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the document providing the requested information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 38, An Act to Amend the Jury Act; and Bill 41, An Act to Amend the Partnership Act, and wish to report that Bills 38 and 41 are now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 20-17(5), I wish to table the following document, entitled “NWT Debt.” Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Motion 31-17(5), Establishment of Ombudsman Office.” Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Clerk.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a response to a petition provided by the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, in response to a petition tabled by Mr. Bromley, Member for Weledeh, on November 3, 2014. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, February 6, 2015, I will move that Bill 43, An Act to Amend the Borrowing Authorization Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.
Orders of the day for Thursday, February 5, 2015, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Budget Address
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Thursday, February 5th, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 3:26 p.m.
