Robert Hawkins

The second question is to the Minister of the NWT Power Corporation.

I would like to request a detailed breakdown by community from the NWT Power Corporation for the last three years specific to:

profits and losses,

distribution and power subsidy, and

the dividends raised.

Please provide any details of a prescribing document that states that the NWT Power Corporation needs to make a profit, and what is that profit based on?

I just can’t imagine what the interest would be on that, even at a modest rate. As generous as we are, has anyone worked out what a normal rate of return on an average interest rate would be on that? What would be considered a fair and reasonable interest rate if we applied it on that money outstanding? Is there any sense of that, or was there any work done to assess that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Capital Acquisition Plan. We’re going to look at a new schedule, and that’s good. That’s good. But my question really was: before the business plan starts, will the Minister be bringing forward a plan of how to address this? As he said already, it’s coming to committee, but will we see it before the business plan starts this fall?

I appreciate the fact that I was tied up with constituency matters, so I may have missed the earlier answers on this.

I needed a date for that. It causes me to wonder, and if no one’s raised it — I certainly hope they have, but I’ll ask it anyway — why do we continue to provide services that are outside of life and limb if we’re not being paid for these costs? Is there a reason why we continue to provide services for Nunavut if they’re not paying their costs? What does this represent as the greater amount of money, in the sense of business used with the Nunavut government?

It’s really appropriate, although we’re not allowed to waive items here, that the colour of the Main Estimates is gold. I had a reference to it recently as “it’s the gold book for tendering,” and this provides a reference.

The issue really is: would he be willing to look at this and address this? I didn’t hear that clearly. It sort of was a wishy-washy answer. I want to hear that this government is willing to act, to operate in the best way for the people of the Northwest Territories, and giving the numbers out is not sound management. Will the Minister commit to including this item as an issue...

I’ll accept that as a commitment from the Speaker to review that in the next while.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great pleasure to acknowledge a constituent of mine. Jessica Hopkins, a graduate of Sir John Franklin High School, recently won the Canadian Millennium Scholarship for excellent academic performance, innovation and her exceptional community service. Jessica won this because she strives to nurture in others a love of reading and helped to implement the project that matched middle and elementary school students for one-on-one reading and word games.

She is also active in environment matters. She took on the responsibility of researching and implementing an...

Mr. Chairman, I think the Speaker has well described the issue. I’m not suggesting every specific commissioner position should be a resident, and I think it was highlighted that, well, it’s maybe conflict-of-interest issues that are more important to observe and that a non-resident would be more appropriate. As well, there’s an expertise issue that from time to time will surface. But, Mr. Chairman, the issue I’m strictly raising is that for some of these positions we’ll certainly have competent Northerners who are able to be there: attract them as Northerners and get them to stay here and...

That’s the answer I’m looking for, and I’m glad to hear it. And, of course, I’m sure the Speaker will keep us up to date on the movement of that.

Thank you for that detail. Actually, that was very helpful. Out of the remaining, or what would be described as the remaining 32 positions, how many will be left vacant? My question would be: do you have any unfunded positions that go over and above that latest number?