Thank you, Minister Ootes. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, in the initial review, we have not asked the consultants to look at that kind of legal question that the Member raises. It is not part of their mandate. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it may sound like a legal question but I think that it is at the core of what we need to do. I think this is what this government has to look at. Mr. Speaker, I believe that if it was not for the possibility of opting out and having communities have a say in that, we might not have had a situation in Fort Simpson and Hay River.

What I am saying, Mr. Speaker, is that I have a problem with the way we provide this essential service when Yellowknife has its own service. If Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, everybody gets picked off, what kind of asset do you have; whether it is private, public or aboriginal? Would the Minister look at the total picture? Whoever is generating, distributing, regulating the energy sector in the end, it has to stay together in a shape that is marketable and saleable and is something that is strong enough to provide power and energy sources to its people. I think it falls within his mandate to look at it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. I think there was a question there. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. In the first question, I thought she was referring more to a very specific legal question. However, in the broader context, yes, our government does allow municipalities to enter into these other alternative arrangements for distribution of power. It certainly is an issue that has to be looked at and considered by the consultants. We are talking about an asset, a corporation which is owned by the public. We all certainly need to look at the public interest in this one. Yes, that issue that Ms. Lee refers to is part of the mandate. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I believe there are two issues. It is not only that it is public property and that we have an investment. We have spent lots of money on that and government carries the debt in investing money in that. I think it is important for the government to say that these are not to be divvied up in pieces, and everybody take what is good for them, and leave the communities without means for effective and economical energy sources.

Would the Minister please commit to us that he will look at the total picture and look at what is good for all of the communities in the North, not just looking at it as an asset that is saleable and divisible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board Secretariat, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will confirm that we are looking at the return on public investment in the broadest sense, not just in terms of how you might divide it up if you are going to sell it. We are looking at it in the broadest sense. This is a corporation that is owned by the public. Return on public interest is definitely part of the study. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Handley. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, keeping up with the topic of the mandate of this review group, would the Minister consider, or is the review group looking at, making the level of subsidies transparent? Will that come out in the report? The information on how much is this government really subsidizing the cost of power and energy and fuel and all that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for Energy and Finance, Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, again, I do not want to prejudge or predetermine what is going to be in this study, but I expect, as part of the committee's analysis of the various issues, they will certainly be looking at the subsidy levels and I expect that their report is likely going to give us information on that. I really cannot prejudge what will be in the actual report. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation.

Some months ago, Mr. Speaker, the Power Corporation engaged in a very extensive reorganization plan. It was quite an extensive exercise. I understand that they came up with a system that succeeded in building a new model of management and would have substantially reduced headquarters costs, something that the corporation has always been under fire for. It would have sent more people in the regions where there could have been closer and better contact with customers. It even had the positive participation of the union.

In light of the directive issued, as the Robertson review went into effect, and that was not to issue any of the layoffs or administrative changes that were required, especially because of the split with Nunavut, I want to ask the Minister, what is the status of the implementation of this reorganization plan?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The notices of layoffs have been put on hold because not all of the potential impacts of the study that is being undertaken are available yet. Once the review has been completed, then more things may come to light as to the future direction of the corporation. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly the freeze on layoffs is something that has been well publicized but I would like to ask again about the implementation of the reorganization plan. That is, movement of people within and around the corporation to satisfy other core needs that the corporation has as it manages its day-to-day business. Will the Minister confirm that there is a freeze also on internal movements and management of personnel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Mr. Ootes.

Yes, that is correct, Mr. Speaker. Certain things come to light and happenings become available as we proceed. For example, the division with Nunavut was one of the big issues that was out there and the whole question of service providers was one that was still to be addressed.

Just several days ago, Mr. Speaker, as an example, the corporation was successful in negotiating with Nunavut to continue to provide engineering and metering services. That affects the number of employees in the corporation, no doubt. I do not know all the results of that yet, but certainly it is an extensive contract that we will have in place, and I think that is positive news.

These are the types of things that needed to be clarified, Mr. Speaker, in order to proceed with any layoff notices because it all plays a part. Thank you.