Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I made it clear in this House I oppose the use of the power corporation using power limiter devices during the cold winter months in my riding. Life in the Arctic Coast is harsh and expensive. Lack of heat can be life threatening. People who have the power limiters don't know when the power will be turned off and back on. It makes it impossible for them to heat their homes properly and feed and care for their families.
Under the NTPC terms of agreement, it states respect to the corporation's responsibility that continuous supply. The corporation cannot guarantee uninterrupted service. Mr. Speaker, the High Arctic communities, power is essential. It's survival. It's not acceptable. We need to be able to do better.
Mr. Speaker, I have also spoken in this House many times about the state of housing in Nunakput and living in public housing units, in matchbox houses, paperthin walls, snow blowing through cracks in windows, the walls and the doors; floors are freezing, people are having to put blankets on the floors to walk around and lock their doors and windows with blankets to keep the wind out. So many people are living in overcrowded housing units in my riding. Not even close to being energy efficient. Without enough maintenance to improve housing stock, it's very little opportunities of employment to earn income to pay for the power. Can I have we have to struggle with power limiters and paying our power bills. The government needs to extend to the High Arctic residents to get rid of the power limiters in winter months in the Nunakput riding.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, too, the public utilities board that they didn't give 10 percent to the power increase to our ridings back home. It's 5 percent they increased it to so people, maybe they could try to survive. But thank you, power utilities board, for not taking that full 10 percent, what our GNWT government wanted to do today. And I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
