With regard to the Minister's comments on petroleum products and how there is a review going on regarding the Power Corporation and the consideration of privatization, I have a problem where you have a Crown corporation or a company that has some $200 million of assets that they can use trying to compete against a community band or corporation that wants to take over such initiatives. It is a government institution, and when you talk about privatization, privatization means that you are trying to give something to the private sector, but in this case, it is to a corporation that is owned by this government.
From the way the Minister stated it, we are waiting to see how we compare the Power Corporation's proposals to the community's proposals. By that statement alone, I feel it is an imbalance.
You have a corporation that has resources and people in-house who can assist them and capital where they are able to capitalize on these opportunities. When you talk about Fort McPherson or Tsiigehtchic where you have a company such as the co-op or the band corporation, who may presently run a gas station and wants to expand to provide another service, then it automatically gives a disadvantage to the smaller operator because you are competing against a multi-million dollar corporation.
I feel that privatization should be kept within the domain of a community and a band corporation for them to build the expertise and for them to expand an existing business they may already have. How critical is it that the Power Corporation is even involved in this process?