Debates of October 20, 2004 (day 24)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With our winter season upon us, I wish to speak to the issue of power rates in the NWT. There continues to be great disparity in the rates charged to northerners for electricity. At the extreme, we have some residents paying 22 times the amount other people are asked to pay. That is 2,200 percent more. I would like to think, Mr. Speaker, that any democratically-elected government with a mandate to treat all of its citizens equally would be concerned with addressing such glaring inequalities. However, that does not seem to be the case with this government. I am concerned that this inequality is about to become even worse. Power rates are the highest in those communities that rely on diesel-generated power. Lately, we have seen world oil prices reach an all-time high, exceeding $50 a barrel. Clearly, this will mean an increase in the price of diesel-generated power, which will create an additional economic burden for some residents, but not, Mr. Speaker, for all.

The current rate structure applied by this government penalizes people living in smaller communities. That is to say the way that the government conducts its business is creating a social imbalance. Electricity is an essential service, and yet we have people in smaller communities who must do without many things in life in order to pay their prohibitive electricity costs. I am concerned this imbalance will become critical and that it is going to have serious consequences for all of us.

In 2002, the NWT Power Corporation recommended the establishment of a single power rate across the NWT. This would have been in keeping with the system established by most other Canadian jurisdictions. However, the recommendation was rejected by the Executive Council of the 14th Assembly, and we continue to experience disparity.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Are there any nays? There are no nays. You may conclude your statement, Mr. Menicoche.

I would like to thank my honourable colleagues for allowing me time to conclude my Member’s statement. I would like to remind you all that our current hydro-electric infrastructure was paid for by all the NWT residents with across-the-board rate increases. And yet, now, people in smaller communities who were asked to help people in the larger centres are being told you are on your own. It is too bad. Do we ask people in smaller remote communities to pay more for health care because it costs more to deliver? No, we do not. We understand such things to be a fundamental matter of fairness and equality in a democratic society. This government will claim they are treating people equally and fairly by subsidizing power rates in smaller communities. That is true. There are subsidies up to a certain point, which is to say that this government is willing to treat its citizens equally and fairly up to a certain point, but that is just not good enough. Partial subsidies that partially address the issues are not adequate or acceptable, Mr. Speaker. Social fairness and equality must be a matter of policy and law carried out with intent. It is not a matter of expedience or convenience applied after the fact. I would like to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker, by saying that I will be giving notice of a motion in the House later today regarding this issue. Mahsi Cho.