Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I as well would like to briefly speak to the issue of energy, the provision of energy in the Northwest Territories and the need for a broad energy strategy. Broader, Mr. Speaker, than what is being undertaken now by the government.

This is an issue that I have raised in this House for the last five years. The government has responded and they have indicated reasons that I am not convinced are on the table. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with consultants, hopefully next week. Mr. Speaker, if we are going to be serious about this, we have to broaden the scope eventually. We are spending well over $400 million as a Territory on the provision of fuel alone in the Northwest Territories. It is a huge cost and the prices are rising. It affects everybody, every community, every aspect and facet of our life. We need a way to regulate it. We need a way to plan for the future. We need a way to integrate the various components on the regulatory side, with the provision side, with the supply side, with the usage side, with the environmental concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I would hope that the government would use their initial consultation as a springboard to do that. It is going to be critical that there be proper public consultation and that it be an open process. There is a lot of interest out there. There are a lot of good ideas, a lot of creative ideas in this area. People have spent a lot of time working on this particular area and it is going to be critical that the government tap into that aspect of the energy and ideas.

We also have to look at the communities on a community-by-community basis with community energy strategies. Each community will have their own needs, their own requirements and their own aspirations in how they want to deal with the issue of energy, the provision of energy and energy efficiency.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately this whole process is off to a shaky start with the decision by Cabinet to interfere in the franchising process in Hay River followed up by their direct intervention and decisions in terms of layoffs and decisions made by the boards as it related to the upcoming division. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the Cabinet has in mind or if they are sure, but if they want a process, it should be arm's length. They should not be interfering with a corporation and the day-to-day running of corporations and definitely not in public community processes that are covered under legislation.

I would hope that the government would use this as a springboard to do a comprehensive energy strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause