Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak to the fact that I believe Northerners and all residents indeed of the Northwest Territories are going to need help to pay their fuel bills this winter. We all use home heating fuel. We have seen the costs rise astronomically. We know that most of this is due to world factors that are out of our control. This government does not impose a tax on home heating fuel, but that does not reduce the fact that Northerners are going to struggle this winter. When it is about to be 40 below, I hope we have a plan. Gasoline as well, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, Mr. Nitah spoke of trappers who use fuel for their vehicles in order to make their livelihood. We know this government has by legislation an ad valorum rate that they have chosen not to use. They have imposed a 10.7 cents per litre tax on gasoline. Mr. Speaker, our Finance Minister has insisted that this rate is low enough and we have held the line since 1997. He is not prepared and not ready to look at this. Mr. Speaker, I think that is shameful. I think we have a real situation here. A lot of my constituents who used to use premium, for example, are now using regular gasoline as a cost saving measure. Mr. Speaker, we charge the same level of tax, 10.7 cents, no matter what type of fuel you use, so I do not think our constituents should be fooled into thinking they are going to pay less into this government's coffers by switching gasoline. This is certainly something that I think the Minister needs to address.
Of course, we do not have all the answers. There may be some things that are out of our control, but what about revisiting the property tax subsidy rebate that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs used to distribute to homeowners? Where has that gone, Mr. Speaker, and why has this Finance Minister not looked at it nor mentioned it? We do not see much of a plan. So, Mr. Speaker, Cabinet can put their collective heads in the sand -- or snow, as the case may be -- but that is not going to help us. We are going to need to see a plan and need to see something quickly.
Alberta has announced a $300 energy rebate available to all residents who filed income tax and are over 16. What are we doing, Mr. Speaker? Not much. So I hope the Finance Minister has a plan and I will have questions for him later today. Thank you.