This is page numbers 171 - 209 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was report.

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. It's regarding the proposed 22 per cent low-water surcharge that the NWT Power Corporation is applying to the Public Utilities Board for.

Madam Speaker, I do understand the Public Utilities Board has the mandate and responsibility to decide power rates, however the Power Corporation is 100 per cent owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The government is accountable, in this House, for the Power Corporation and the Minister, under the act, does have the power to issue directors to the corporation. My constituents find the proposed low-water surcharge totally unacceptable. They want some answers.

My first question, Madam Speaker, is when did the government learn that the Power Corporation had underestimated their costs and were forced to go to the PUB for a huge low-water surcharge?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Madam Premier.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, the Member is quite right that the Public Utilities Board hears all applications for increases in rates to the consumer. I was informed of a need for a surcharge on the low-water situation in February. At that time, the Public Utilities Board was also informed that there would be a requirement to hear an application for a charge for the problems in the low-water we were experiencing in this part of the hydro system. Thank you.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As the sole owner of the Power Corporation, what power does the government have to ensure the Power Corporation makes every effort to fund budget miscalculations internally?

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, in relation to low-water surcharges, this is not a phenomenon to the Northwest Territories alone. This happens all across Canada in other hydro areas when they find themselves in a situation where the water is just not there to generate the necessary power on a continuous basis. It's a normal procedure for the utility to put an application towards the regulator, which is the Public Utilities Board in this instance. Thank you.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you again. Because the Power Corporation is 100 per cent owned by the GNWT and is obviously subject to GNWT policies and procedures, is it government policy that communities pay for unexpected costs due to weather conditions? For example, are communities going to have to pay a high temperature surcharge for forest fire fighting around their communities?

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Madam Premier.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I don't think the Public Utilities Board is in the business to determine the cost of the forest fires. I believe the forest fire high cost is being charged to this government which is an unanticipated $20 million. Thank you.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Yes, I think the Minister has made my point. If the government is picking up the unexpected cost of forest fire fighting because of such an act of God, I guess my question to the Premier is why should communities pay a low-water surcharge for power when it's 100 per cent owned by the government. And if the Power Corporation didn't budget for that, as the Department of Renewable Resources didn't budget for a high temperature summer, why should the consumers have to pay the price? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation was set up to run as an independent arm's length utility company and that is presently the way it operates. If there are certain areas which are determined under the Public Utilities Act which also includes the unexpected issue on hydro areas on low-water surcharges, that is the role of the Public Utilities Board to hear the request for a charge on the matter of the low water. So that is the mandate of the Public Utilities Board. It's a mandate of the Power Corporation to put those requests forward to that body. Thank you.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Iqaluit, Mr. Patterson.

Question 94-12(6): Action Taken On Expensive GNWT Advertising
Item 6: Oral Questions

October 10th, 1994

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Madam Speaker, over a year ago, last June 1993, I wrote to the Premier complaining about advertising not tendered, in this case, a 16-page advertising spread masked as an editorial copy in a magazine which caters to an English-speaking elite. That one was paid for by the Department of Education for some $37,000. I told the Premier that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs had purchased a similar "advertorial" last year and I warned that I had heard another government department was being wooed for a summer edition. And we saw the results, including a beautiful picture of the Minister of the Housing Corporation in this House, last week.

In my letter, Madam Speaker, I asked the Premier some questions and asked her to give the matter her immediate attention. I also copied one to Mr. Alvarez, her deputy minister. I'd like to ask the Premier, since I didn't get a reply to that letter, which was a sincere attempt to encourage the government to get better value for its advertising dollars, what action was taken following that letter of June 7, 1993? Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I can provide the written copy of a letter that was written in reply to his letter some 30 days later, or a little before that which he might have lost. Thank you.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Whether I lost the letter or the Premier lost her file copy, I'd like to ask the Premier what action was taken because we saw in this House last week that the Housing Corporation blew some $30,000 to $40,000 on advertising which goes to an English-speaking elite and was not tendered. So I'd like to ask the Premier -- whether I got the letter or she's got the copy -- what action was taken as a result of this strong letter I wrote, which I'll table later today in this Assembly.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I'm sure I can table the response to his letter, too. I have it here because I heard the honourable Member was saying he didn't receive a copy and I was a bit concerned about it, so we checked our files and indeed he did receive a response to his letter.

As to what is being done, as the Member also knows, over the years, there has been some indications that the Government of the Northwest Territories should put some positive spins to some of the positive attempts they are taking to serve the public in the Northwest Territories. To say something good about some of the expenditures that are made on behalf of the consumers, and that has been indicated quite a number of times, is that we do a lot of good things for the consumers. We do conduct programs. We do carry out daily delivery of services to people, but that seems to go without a lot of comment. So there was a purposeful attempt to put a more positive approach on the things that were being done in a positive way to serve the residents of the Northwest Territories. This is one publication that was seen as a good vehicle. Above and Beyond is often complimented as something that almost everyone can pick up.

There are a lot of travel arrangements that are made for patients and people who have to be referred elsewhere, they all get on the airlines, as well as the elite. There are a lot of people who read this particular magazine, including myself. I find it a very interesting publication with a lot of positive things being said, not only in the area of housing, but in economic development. There are really positive profiles of people across the Northwest Territories. I think a lot of people like the magazine. I certainly do, Madam Speaker.

The fact is, there was a suggestion to put a publication forward. Normally, the department would say they will put a major article in a paper and generate the general costs. I think on the detail of the costs, the Minister responsible can put a more positive light on exactly what it cost, where the publication was sent and where it was distributed. Madam Speaker, I sincerely believe we got good value for the dollar with the article. It tells about the Housing Corporation, about what kinds of programs we have, about what buildings we're building and what we attempt to do.

Hopefully, with this kind of publicity and the positive light, other funding institutions, such as the federal government, will look to see what can be done in a positive way and see that our program is worthwhile and certainly is in the right category for support. I believe the housing corporation has housed many people, it is an excellent program and it deserves a positive spin. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

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Question 94-12(6): Action Taken On Expensive GNWT Advertising
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Madam Speaker, I would like to make it clear that I don't question the government's privilege to pay for propaganda which makes it look good. And, I don't, as I said in my letter to the Premier, begrudge Above and Beyond for very successfully hustling some $100,000 to $150,000 out of three government departments.

But, my question to the Premier -- which she hasn't answered, and which is the same question I asked in my letter -- is are there not policies in place when the government is spending that kind of money -- over $100,000 of our precious public funds -- which require tendering of amounts, when there are other publishers, including northern-owned operators, operating in a highly competitive market place, including, may I say, one company operating in my constituency?

Are there not policies in place which would allow other companies and community newspapers to be given a chance to bid for that kind of opportunity? Thank you.