Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While asking questions to the Premier earlier, what seemed to keep getting slipped in the whole process was the fact that there’s no mandate or terms of reference for this electrical review that’s going on. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to hear from the Premier why there isn’t a mandate but we’re sending them out starting in Inuvik in the next couple days to hear from the people. Why is it just treated as a public discussion without a mandate? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the Member is referring to the review that is undertaken by the lead Minister of the Energy Coordinating Committee, so I will refer that question to Minister Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have worked very closely with the standing committees and we have come forward with a number of papers. We have come forward with a discussion paper that will be taken to the communities. We have also developed a communications plan and approach. They have laid out the questions and the areas of interest that they will be consulting on and we expect a report in June. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, that’s all well and good, but why do we not have a terms of reference and a mandate for this and something on paper that demonstrates how it plugs into the bigger picture for solutions for rates and costs going forward? Why is there no mandate? Why is there no terms of reference? Thank you.
We have a discussion paper that has been circulated and it asks all the questions that have been developed in conjunction with the standing committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I spoke to some people in the community and they’re quite concerned that there’s no mandate or terms of reference on how this is proceeding. It’s designed pretty much as an open, like a blank page approach for community consultation. Mr. Speaker, I would think that it would be more useful if we had a terms of reference and a mandate that demonstrated how they plug into the other two components, which is, of course, the value for money audit and the proposal that’s being reviewed through ATCO and the GNWT partners. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister not agree that a terms of reference and a mandate would not be useful in this particular case? Thank you.
I don’t agree with the Member. We worked with the standing committees. We agreed on a discussion paper. We agreed on the types of questions to be asked. There was ample opportunity for input at the front end and it’s not very helpful to come back at the back end when we’re going out to consultation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I’m only asking these questions because it seems it’s being asked in the public. I appreciate the frustration the Minister may be having, but the fact is there are people out there concerned that it doesn’t have a mandate and there’s no blueprint on how they converge. Mr. Speaker, I’ve heard answers from the Premier today and he seems to assume they will converge sometime in the fall, if they do. I’d like to know, without a mandate and terms of reference, how do we stay on track, how do we stay focused, how does it make sense and how do we know where we’re going without that type of focus? Thank you.
If the Member is hearing these concerns from his constituents, then there will be opportunity for them to raise those concerns. As the Premier has indicated, he will be coming forward with terms of reference and mandates for the other two reviews which the Member would have input into. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
