Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have just sifted through the blizzard of Ministers' statements and the one I would like to respond to and speak to the issues are in relation to the Power Corporation, which is a very important issue to the people in my constituency. In his statement, the Minister made a comment about idle rhetoric not adding to this debate and I agree. I do not consider putting forward the views of your constituents in a forum such as this as idle rhetoric. I do it in all seriousness. I would also like to point out when we talk about economies that when we look at the whole issue of division, it makes not one jot or iota of economic sense. It is costing hundreds of millions dollars to set up two new territories. NTPC is part of that mix. To separate it out and to say it is okay to spend $200 million, $150 million or $180 million, but on this particular issue, it is not part of the equation. It makes little sense to me, Mr. Speaker.
I would also suggest that the Minister's fact and figures are in question or he would not, at this point, be in a facilitation process and we would have reached an agreement at this juncture. Clearly, there are other schools of thought on this particular issue. The government has chosen to put forward a position to continue the Power Corporation on a 60/40 split. Many people in Thebacha have a different view and I would suggest across the Western Territory and probably in Nunavut.
I was also still under the impression that we are in a democracy and it is the people's right to raise these concerns in forums such as this with their duly elected political representatives. I believe it adds to the debate.
I also believe the Minister is splitting hairs when we are talking about the subsidy. My understanding is, the GNWT owns the Power Corporation, one shareholder. The GNWT takes the Power Corporation dividends and hands out a power subsidy. Technically, the Power Corporation does not cross-subsidize power rates, but very clearly when 68 percent of the revenues are generated in the west and only a fraction of that amount is actually spent on the power subsidy in the west, the issue of cross-subsidization exists. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.