Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on some of my earlier questions on the Public Utilities Board, if I could. Specifically, I just want to start by confirming that it’s the responsibility of the Public Utilities Board to ensure the fair treatment of our citizens with regard to the safe and reliable provision of power and fair pricing of power. Is that correct?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Maybe I could paraphrase that and say that the Public Utilities Board reviews the cost applications by the electrical providers to ensure that the costs are appropriate and relevant. They do that through a number of processes, including public hearings, interventions and making the public aware of these applications for increases.
I appreciate those comments. I’m wondering if the Public Utilities Board — and this again is following up on my questions earlier — has any comments on the structuring of the Hydro Corporation in relation to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation and the Energy Corporation. Are they commenting on that, and what is your perspective on that restructuring?
At the time that the legislation was passed, the comments of the Public Utilities Board were not sought.
I’ll just hope I get an answer to the question eventually. I did ask if they are commenting on that situation, not about the past.
I’m wondering if it’s the perspective of the Public Utilities Board that the Taltson hydro facility is a facility that has been owned and maintained by the NWT Energy Corporation. Is it still owned, or has it been transferred to the Hydro Corporation?
It’s still owned and is a subsidiary of those companies that the Member talked about.
If the Taltson plant is still owned by the Power Corporation — and, of course, that means it has been paid for by our citizens through their power rates and so on — is it likely that their power rates will directly benefit from any sale of additional power, such as to commercial enterprises?
At the time of the legislation that was passed and the current thinking as well…. What has been constructed is a new spillway, which would not impact on the rates of the current users. For that reason, it was set up the way it was. There’s a new ownership structure that has been set up for the new spillway that’s being constructed at some point in the near future.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
