Thank you, Madam Chair.

The western Members of the Standing Committee on Government Operations reviewed Bill 4, Northwest Territories Power Corporation Division Measures Act, at their meeting held March 19, 1999.

Bill 4 is necessary to allow the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to operate in Nunavut over the life of the two-year Transition Agreement between the GNWT and the Government of Nunavut.

This bill is the culmination of a year and a half of intense negotiations on the part of the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Office of the Interim Commissioner, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Western Coalition on the fate of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation after division. The resultant Transition Agreement allows for the adoption of a permanent agreement on a shared power corporation should the negotiations be successful between the Government of Nunavut and the Government of the Northwest Territories. If these negotiations are not successful in the next year, the Transition Agreement also allows for the orderly division of the power corporation into two distinct corporations.

Madam Chair, the standing committee had no difficulty with Bill 4, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation Division Measures Act. Committee Members understand this to be enabling legislation which will allow the Transition Agreement between the two governments to go forward. Committee members may have questions or comments on the bill as we proceed.

Thank you, Madam Chair.