Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask questions, again, to the Minister of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee in terms of the Minister has indicated that by June we should have some indication as to what the people in the Northwest Territories are saying in terms of the consultations that are going to take place. From June, can the Minister outline in terms of within the life of this Assembly, what the possibility is that can we expect people who want lower rates and want to look at the electricity regulations, what brought forward can we see as a government in terms of making some changes in our communities in terms of the high cost of energy?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable lead Minister on the Energy Coordinating Committee, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is asking me to put forward some hypothetical situations and we’ve just set up a panel to go out and ask people those very questions, so I’d wait until we have a report before I speculate on the possibilities of changing rates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I didn’t mean to put the Minister in the position of speculating, but clearly, Mr. Speaker, when the panel comes together in June, the panel will have some very concrete ideas as to where we could go in terms of what does it take to maybe implement a two-rate hydro zone or electric diesel zone in terms of rates on our electricity. Certainly we went through the Public Utilities Board for the general rate application process. So there are some things we could do right away in terms of reducing the cost of energy in our communities. Again, I am asking for some, maybe a broader outline in terms of the support for the panel in terms of the direction they may receive from the communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Member can be assured that the fundamental aspect of the review is to try to find ways to reduce costs and to provide cheaper energy to people in the communities. There are a number of different ways that it can be done. I will wait until the committee has had a chance to do its work and make its recommendations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would surely like to see the report in terms of the recommendations from the panel. Mr. Speaker, regarding the recommendations, I am hearing lots in the communities about implementing a one-rate zone down the Mackenzie Valley. There are some issues there.
Mr. Speaker, in terms of the implementation on a one-rate zone, it was felt very strongly in the Mackenzie Valley. I guess what I am asking is, if that is the panel’s conclusion, what type of work needs to be done in terms of having this type of decision be implemented within the life of this government. I am asking the Minister in terms of the swiftness of this panel to implement, for example, a one-rate zone in the Mackenzie Valley. Thank you.
I wouldn’t want to focus on just one possibility because we are asking the panel to look at all possibilities and whatever the panel comes back with, there will be opportunity for good discussion before any final decisions are made. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
