Robert Hawkins

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...

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. Speaker. If the work is done and the work is in place and the work is in gear, whatever analogy the Premier wants to use, then would the Premier table the terms of reference and the mandate of all these three entities and show how they converge for long-term better power to all Northerners?

I finally understand it. We have Stevie Wonder over there driving the car. That’s why it’s so banged up. No one knows where they’re going. So I only mean it as someone blind is driving this car in the context of the analogy. The fact is, nobody knows where these plug in and are hoping like heck they are not going to be the solution. Would the Premier put a halt to this, come up with a terms of mandate and show where this plan is going, where this car is going, for better power, better solutions in northern hands?

Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, there is an electrical review that is supposed to go on, but again no terms of reference, no mandate. There is none. They will travel all through the North and meet a lot of great people. The press release reads, engage NWT residents of a territorial-wide discussion. That is exactly what they will get, a discussion on everything. Mr. Speaker, it is going to take the direction of the JRP hearings. It is going to run for as long as people can talk.

Mr. Speaker, I challenge the Premier to table terms of reference and show us how the mandates of all of these...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the detail. Has the department ever sought a secondary accounting position to find out if we should be carrying that liability directly on our books? Because it is being paid separately by another agency, such as the federal government. I mean, it would seem obvious to me that we shouldn’t have to wear that liability if it is being fully funded. It was created by someone else and it is being paid off by someone else. It just seems odd that, with all due respect, our Housing Minister is just taking what our Finance Minister is saying is the truth and that...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Has the Finance Minister changed since that original question came forward and how much work has been done from a legal/accounting perspective to see if that is actually accurate? Thank you.

Thank you. I am just trying to get a sense of it. Was that a power bill cost or was that how much the person pays or was he referring to kilowatts, 600 kilowatts? If he could explain that a little further as to what the actual person pays. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The issue, really, the key word here, is to “consider” and what this does is facilitate that type of discussion in a committee. Although laptops and BlackBerries were broken out into two separate, distinct paragraphs here, the intent, as I recall the Rules committee, was to allow us to facilitate this opportunity to have them within that type of committee. Ultimately, the committee itself will have the overbearing position of being able to say, look, this is going to be an allowable device or not. By the Assembly here approving this doesn’t mean that a committee can’t...

Does that have a ceiling amount or is it just six cents no matter how many kilowatts they use? Thank you.