Mr. Speaker, I have made mention in my Member’s statement about the gouging that is happening in Fort Good Hope, especially with the co-op store and the situation that elders and people have to be put under in terms of cashing a basic government cheque. I want to ask the Premier what steps this government can do to help the people in Fort Good Hope and situations like that, unforeseen circumstances that happened to them and that they are put in this situation. What steps can this government do to protect the people in Fort Good Hope are living under these types of conditions? I believe that they are being held ransom.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On the area of the cost of living in our communities, there are a number of initiatives that we are undertaking. Some of it has been highlighted today in Members’ statements; the electricity review, for example. The effects on the commercial rates would then be passed down to the customers in many of our communities. That is one of the biggest things we are looking at doing.
The other area, as the Member has highlighted in his Member’s statement, would be a little more difficult to deal with in a sense that how a business operates when someone wants to go in and cash their cheque, for example, that would be a little more difficult. I would have to talk with my colleagues here to see if there are any initiatives that could be about that. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier is correct; there are some initiatives that I could list off, actually provide in terms of how we are working with our small communities to subsidize or to lower the cost of living in our communities. The point, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask the Premier, is would he exercise some of his muscle or his authority in terms of how do we help communities like Fort Good Hope that are dealing with situations that I pointed out now? They are living as right today as we speak in terms of what can he and his Cabinet come together and present something on the floor that would protect future incidents like this in the Northwest Territories?
Mr. Speaker, some of these incidents may have increased since the burning of the Northern Store in that community, therefore creating one outlet there in the community, the Co-operative’s initiative. That becomes part of the challenge. A number of our communities that have only one place to shop is a challenge as everyone has to go through that store. It is a challenge. I would again have to commit to getting back with my colleagues to see if there are any initiatives under consumer protection, for example, to see what may be taken under that area. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the Premier getting back to me on this initiative. I want to ask the Premier in terms of the types of protection that could give people in Fort Good Hope from the co-op, for example, that they feel that they are getting gouged at the co-op store in terms of how can this government here... When will the Premier report back to me in terms of this is what they could do in terms of helping the people of Fort Good Hope to at least reduce their cost at the co-op store in terms of lowering their cost of foods?
Mr. Speaker, one of the other initiatives that has been undertaken not necessarily by our government but the federal government on the Food Mail Program, we are expecting to hear some news on that. I know Minister Strahl has been working under that initiative, so we are waiting to see what the final outcome of those discussions would be and what that might do for the constituents of the Northwest Territories that use that program.
The other area, again, is within our own initiatives. The cost of energy in our communities is something that we are undergoing and could have a direct impact as early as this upcoming fall and winter season.
As by responding to the question here in the House, I will be speaking with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs which I believe is the consumer protection area within that department. We will have a discussion and see how soon we can get back. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do applaud Minister Bob McLeod in terms of his announcement of lowering the cost of living in our small communities. I want to ask the Premier what tools would he be using in terms of monitoring the reduced cost of living in our small communities. What tools would he be using and how soon can he get back to me in terms of saying this is what we can do in Fort Good Hope in terms of protection from the high cost of foods in the co-op store?
Mr. Speaker, the questions that the Member is asking will require us to look at it as to what we have available within our authority. Some of it falls outside of our authority and goes back to the private sector and how they carry on their business. We may have to… It depends if Members of this Assembly feel that we need to initiate some action on the legislative side to be looked at, but at this point all I can commit to the Member is sitting down with my colleagues to go through what we have available outside of the initiatives we are undertaking, like I responded earlier, to the electricity rate review, the Food Mail Program as we will hear from the federal government on, those types of initiatives and get back to the Member on a number of those. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
