Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the life of the 13th Assembly, I repeatedly raised the issue in this House of the need for a broad energy strategy for the Northwest Territories. During the 13th Assembly, it was an issue that was very difficult to have any attention paid to it because of other pressing matters, such as division, restraint, cut-backs and all those other issues of the day. The reality now, Mr. Speaker, is that we are faced with an energy crisis, so to speak, with rocketing fuel prices and increased demand on petroleum products and the negative impact it is having on all of our budgets and the cost of living in the North.

Mr. Speaker, the government has come out with a number of initiatives, such as the review of the electrical generation, transmission and distribution report. The Public Utilities Board as well is working on a report, an operational, strategic review. As well, the government has done work on a Greenhouse Gas Strategy. All separately done pieces not yet linked.

Mr. Speaker, it is going to be critical for this government to, in fact, link those pieces to show the people of the Northwest Territories what in fact the energy strategy will look like. We are spending in the neighbourhood of over $700 to $800 million a year on petroleum products as a Northwest Territories jurisdiction. We are the energy hogs of North America on a per capita basis.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of hydro development as it is detailed in the review by the government on electrical energy is a good one. It requires more work. I encourage the government to take the steps to move ahead to provide the detail of technical, financial and regulatory basis. We also have to look not only south, but let us look at the potential north for having a replacement on our dependency on petroleum products with hydro, a clean, environmentally friendly, safe form of energy.

On the issue of rates, Mr. Speaker, the structure of NTPC, the de-regulation that is talked about, having an ombudsman that reports to Cabinet, those are all issues that require much further debate. I do not think it should be taken at face value as presented by the consultants.

I would also encourage, Mr. Speaker, that the Minister responsible for the Public Utilities Board would see the opportunity...Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement.