Thank you, Mr. Premier. Is the Premier using his prerogative to pass it on to the Minister of Finance?

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Finance, Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While we are certainly open to considering any proposal that Members or the public want to put forward to us, this particular proposal would be incredibly expensive for us and very difficult to administer.

We will look at it, but we do not have the addresses of everyone to mail things to. We would have to take applications. We would then have to confirm that these were actual residents of the Northwest Territories, not someone just passing through town. It would be very expensive to do. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are addressed to the Premier in regard to his energy strategy. I would like to follow up to some of the questions already asked. If he could just highlight in his own way what he sees as some of the key components that need to be covered and addressed by an energy strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The idea of the Energy Strategy is to look at the resources of the Northwest Territories -- oil, gas and hydro potential -- and the needs that we have both domestically and in the business and industrial sectors; as well as the export potential of these resources and the environmental aspect of the development of energy, the transmission, the generation and the consumption of it.

As well as the cost of those in the different forms that are available in the different communities we have, and how the people of the Northwest Territories would like to see these used at the local level, the regional level, the territorial, and as one Member said, the potential for domestic purposes.

The secretariat would do an assessment of what has been done todate, a state of affairs in our communities, nationally and internationally in the context of the United States, in the context of the energy market that is out there; and develop some suggestions on how we should develop an energy policy that can meet the needs and interests of our people at the community level, and the regional interests that we have that are sometimes different from one another, meet the needs of our business sector, the industrial sector as well as provide for some benefits to government in terms of revenue. As well as the aboriginal governments, who we would likely want to partner with. Also, the environmental aspect of energy in the exploration, development, production and possible export of it. The ways in which we can provide for the consumption of energy in a way that is environmentally friendly, affordable and fair for all people of the Northwest Territories.

Also, provide for returns to government and more importantly, a policy that could then be used to assure people that this government and perhaps even the partnership governments we have, will commit to using this hopefully broad, comprehensive, well-thought out, credible, realistic, affordable and simple policy to be used by all of us for generations to come. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Premier for that succinct and focused response. The question I would now ask is more in terms of process. He has indicated that he is going to start a secretariat. Could he indicate when he expects to have the secretariat operational, when their terms of reference will be ready, and when they will start generating some work and a paper that can be the topic of discussion?

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have announced that we will put together a secretariat. Officials have been asked to provide an initial draft paper that would give myself some suggestions along the Minister of Finance's idea of how we can proceed. We will probably receive these next week.

Once we receive them, we will review them. If they are anywhere near what we think we need in order to proceed, we will probably go to Cabinet for some approval in principle, and perhaps then go to the committee and seek assurance and some indication from the Ordinary Members that what we are putting together is in fact in line with their thinking as well.

In the next couple of weeks, we hope to have some idea of the structure and put together some paper that will give Members an idea of what it is we are thinking about, some preliminary process as well as start looking for the people to head up the secretariat. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up on one part of the Premier's response, and that is the issue of how this secretariat will be staffed. Could the Premier elaborate on that particular issue as much as he is able? The concern being, will it be existing staff that are going to be transferred and reallocated? Will he be attempting to bring in northern expertise and talent as well as a mix of outside expertise in this area? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The thinking right now is to look at engaging some members of the community here in the Northwest Territories, people who have some interest and commitment to the whole issue of energy, and to look for a team approach to setting up the secretariat. It may include existing staff within the government or agencies of the government, but at this time no firm commitments have been made. There have been some exploratory talks with different individuals, but very little discussion with my Cabinet colleagues. That is about the extent to which I can comment on this at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The staffing of the secretariat is going to be critical to carrying out the very complex mandate that it appears is going to be before this committee. Could the Premier indicate what time frames he is anticipating in terms of getting the staff in place to in fact start carrying out the work that is going to be approved by Cabinet, this House and the committees? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an exciting issue. A lot of work has to be done and there is some sense of urgency to it. Coupled with that, there is still a naivete about how quickly things could be done. I would say that I would like to see a secretariat in place, operating with at least the main staff in place, by the end of July. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for North Slave, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The report that the Member is referring to, which was the power review report, is a report that was given to us in December. I believe we circulated it as quickly as possible. It has gone out for comment and consultation.

The report itself has not yet been dealt with by Cabinet. We hope to deal with that some time this month. There are no particular dates in mind at this time, but there is a sense of urgency to move on with it.

However, I do agree that there is nothing specific in the recommendations that look at providing hydropower to communities within the vicinity of those potential hydro sites.

I believe that in the development of an energy policy, those types of suggestions will be made because there was a very strong sense that we get so far from the communities that if we have clean, affordable and cheap sources of power, then we should develop them and our communities should be the first to benefit from them. We will wait for more specific suggestions to be made through the course of the consultation that the secretariat will undertake. Thank you.