Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue I’d like to discuss today is how a constituent’s experience could have been handled much better. A few short weeks ago an emergency protection order was issued by the justice of the peace, but what makes this different and unusual is this was under false testimony, with the support and the assistance of a third party. At the time the EPO was issued, it moved swiftly through the justice system without a chance for my constituent to be heard, because if he had been heard, the accusations made against him may have warranted a balancing of other considerations to...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. But let’s hope it would be affordable.

Mr. Speaker, has there been any work done on that aspect to become a direct exporter of power to Alberta? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is a very important issue for me as well as many Members, and I believe that any strides we can make towards the cost of living of Northerners does great things for the, I hate to say it, but the kitchen table economics for the everyday person, and power is a critical component of the cost of living here.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to hear from the Premier as to what focus his direction has provided towards grid expansion or coordination of the territorial power being produced here in the North thus far. Perhaps with the work done on the Taltson to date could lend...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to as well recognize Victoria Velez. She’s the intern here with communications. She’s a constituent of Yellowknife Centre.

I, too, would like to recognize the Jacobson family. The longer I work with Jackie Jacobson, the more I feel for them. Very good to see them all here.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Have any customers been identified for that type of potential partnership and does the Premier see an opening to work with the federal government to work with Alberta to create ourselves as the customer of choice, or I should say provider of choice to the province of Alberta, considering their need for clean energy that the Northwest Territories has a lot of? Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the Premier for that particular answer. Mr. Speaker, the potential of southern customers such as Alberta I think is a great area that this Power Corporation should explore, because I think that Alberta has a significant demand of power and we certainly have a pent-up demand of clean energy that we could be selling them that could help sustain our pocketbooks or territorial purse for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, if it was done wisely, we would have our own Churchill Fall example where Newfoundland provides cheap power…

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the Hydro Strategy and I’m certainly curious, at the very least, as to where the direction is now going with this strategy seeing as there has been a bit of setback with the Taltson expansion as well other issues such as the Bluefish needs almost $40 million investment.

Mr. Speaker, I look to the Premier for some guidance for the House as well as for the public as to where the Hydro Strategy is taking us from this present position as the direction towards the future, noting the concerns I highlighted. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an exciting time to be a Northerner. From mineral wealth to ecotourism, the NWT is known as a vast source of untapped potential.

Today I want to speak to another source of untapped potential where better focus needs to be directed. That, Mr. Speaker, is our northern hydro power potential.

Now that the Taltson expansion has been put on hold and now that the Bluefish dam replacement will cost almost $40 million, a lot has changed in the landscape as to where the NWT Hydro Strategy is going, or certainly could be going, Mr. Speaker.

With eight major rivers in the NWT...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying it should be clearly stating that rent is coming in at whatever capacity, and separate it from the arrears. Because what it does is give you a blanket number, so we don’t know who’s paying the rent on time and we don’t know who’s paying the arrears on time. That’s ultimately the goal on this particular issue. I want to make sure, the 161 percent sounds good but we don’t really know what 161 percent means in the bigger context.

I want to give credit for the Minister’s previous answer, and what I’d like to ask him in this particular case, then, is...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 6th Session (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m sort of hearing a comment for consideration here from the Minister and I want to take advantage of that opportunity by saying would the Minister be willing to assess this particular proposal, because I think it would provide a lot less work to clients, provide a stable environment for them in the sense of payment schedules, as well as be less work for the LHOs to manage once a year to re-evaluate the whole line. No different than when you’re taxed. I mean, you’re not taxed one month by CRA, high one month and then not the next. I mean, it’s a formula base. Let’s...