Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since 1988, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation has been run at arm's length from this government. It has been run as a business. A significant number of directors have been experienced business people. In that 12 years, their goal has been reliable power delivered at as low a price as possible. I think, by and large, Mr. Speaker, they have done a pretty good job. Often times, people that I have talked to in the North have suggested that the Power Corporation could be run better as a private corporation. I have always pointed out that by eliminating political interference and letting a business-based board run the corporation, it can, in fact, be an efficiently run operation.

This fall, Mr. Speaker, I have growing concern. The level of political interference in the operations of the Power Corporation are unprecedented in the last 12 years. First, with the Hay River franchise, this government gave the power to the municipality to make a decision on the franchise and then took it away. I would also have to point out that same level of interference did not happen in the franchise in Fort Simpson, so there seems to be a real micro-management here as to how they are going to deal with this corporation.

The second instance of interference was, as Mr. Miltenberger pointed out, the directive not to give the staff in Hay River a heads-up about whether or not their position might be impacted by the division of the corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand how or why this ties into the review underway. If this review is being done to help justify the sale of the corporation and the sale is recommended by this government, it would still take a couple of years. It would have to be debated in this Legislature. There would have to be legislation passed and it would take some time. I cannot see anything in the future that would not cause the need for some reorganization because of the division that is going to take place at the end of this fiscal year.

Mr. Speaker, my fear now is that political interference could create that inefficiency that people have been warning me about over the years. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.