Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I like the fact the Minister is saying they will take it under consideration. But the area that Mr. Rattray touched on briefly is that they are considering looking at the possibility of having the individual communities pick up the actual costs of these operations.
I for one do not support that. If you start looking at the smaller communities, where you look on our capital plans for the last couple of years, we have been putting a lot of infrastructure in communities who did not have fuel services in the past.
I will use Colville Lake again as an example. They have just come on stream in the last couple of years because of this government putting the power generators in that community. Now they have to supply the fuel to offset that, as well as supply the fuel for aviation.
I do not support that initiative. I believe the reason for the government getting involved in the area of petroleum products was to ensure there will be a stable price. Also that they will be subsidized where the cost is higher in some areas and lower in others. It would be a balancing act to ensure we are able to sustain that cost.
This government, especially in many of our communities, makes up a large portion of the client-service for that fuel, the Power Corporation, the Housing Corporation, the municipalities. This government pays the cost to use that fuel. I think you are damned if you do and you are damned if you do not.
I think that is something we have to keep in mind, especially when you mention that there may be increases in communities to offset that cost. If that happens, I would like to ensure we have a public hearing or a public process before that goes anywhere. Will the Minister consider looking at that?