Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I expressed my concern about the process that was undertaken in making application to the PUB for a territorial-wide flat rate for power. The revenue raising methods of the Power Corporation need to be harmonized with the social considerations which go into the subsidy program, which falls within the mandate of the GNWT.

I believe it is possible for this government to consider economic impacts of higher costs, remote diesel dependent power generation in smaller communities, without necessarily going to a single-rate zone. We have that opportunity through making adjustments to our Power Subsidy Program.

If the commercial power subsidy is not addressing prohibitive costs for small communities, then I am fully in support of finding ways to channel support in that direction. If the 700 kilowatt hours per month which is presently subsidized for communities paying a higher rate than Yellowknife is no longer adequate, then I would support that discussion as well.

Hopefully some of these issues might be reflected in the Energy Strategy, which we are looking forward to seeing. A single-rate zone is not the only way to bring fairness to the way in which the price of power is set. A PUB opinion expressed in 1985 stated the following:

The board believes it is the responsibility of the GNWT to set policies with respect to matters of social engineering. The board appreciates that it must consider the broad public interest in formulating its decisions. However, the board does not believe it should decide the extent to which one group of ratepayers should or should not subsidize the cost of power consumed by another group of ratepayers.

It is the view of the board that if unaffordable power rates in diesel communities are to be subsidized by ratepayers in hydro communities or lower-cost diesel communities, this can only be achieved by way of policy direction from the GNWT, keeping in mind the existing subsidy program.

Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to seeing the release of the Energy Strategy and the discussion amongst ourselves as representatives of every region of this Territory as to how we can devise a subsidy that recognizes the needs and economic aspirations of all communities. Until we have had the opportunity to have that discussion, I believe that a multi-million dollar presentation by the Power Corporation combined with the multi-million dollar response that would ensue from affected parties on a single-rate zone is premature.

On behalf of the commercial and residential consumers of power in my community, I thank the government for allowing that discussion to take place and I assure Members who represent higher cost areas that I will be supportive and attentive to the needs of their communities and their residents as well in that discussion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, I would also like to speak to the issue of the situation surrounding the Power Corporation. Mr. Speaker, this situation is truly disturbing and very confusing. I believe it really speaks badly to the job that we are doing as an Assembly as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, it is most unfortunate that we have lost the valuable experience and the expertise on the board. In the aftermath of all of this, we really have a mess on our hands here, Mr. Speaker.

I believe that regardless of where we stand with respect to a one-rate zone and whatever other options might be available, I think that it is important that we get to the bottom of this and at least figure out what happened here, so we can learn from it and move forward.

I think that it really goes to the issue of accountability. Mr. Speaker, I have been thinking and reflecting and reading everything I can, all the transcripts, media transcripts, I have been talking to the players, and the more you read it the more confusing it gets.

Mr. Speaker, the board so far is saying that they are absolutely clear about what they have gotten from the government. If they were not clear about it, they would not have gone through with this. Reading the transcript yesterday, the Cabinet is absolutely clear that they were clear about what their position was, and the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation, who was in the middle of all the discussions, says that there is no misunderstanding either, that everything is clear. Someone has to be wrong here, because the stories do not jibe.

Mr. Speaker, in the big scheme of things, I think this really speaks to the vacuum we have on energy policy. As you will recall, we had the Robertson report that came out that was really never implemented or discussed. That report spoke against the one-rate zone. The government created the Energy Secretariat, which spent a lot and we have not seen the work of that yet. Then there was a Hydro Secretariat and we are still not sure about the future of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

I am hoping that we will get to the bottom of the issues and what happened, and also that through it all, we will have some kind of a comprehensive picture from the government so that we do not look like we are a bunch of people who are really confused about what is happening in our energy policy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue I would like to raise today is the government's transparency or lack thereof to the people of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, Members of this Assembly were elected almost three years ago to work for the better good of the people we represent. I have made every attempt to be very transparent in my dealings with my constituents in all aspects of government.

Recent decisions around the Power Corporation and a one-rate zone make it very difficult for me to promote openness and transparency in this government. I was very shocked, Mr. Speaker, to hear of the government's decision to inform the Power Corporation to withdraw the one-rate zone. I was more alarmed, Mr. Speaker, to learn that Cabinet's decision to fire the entire board of directors of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, to say nothing as to how I was informed of these decisions, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this raises all sorts of alarm bells to me. It has always been my understanding that boards of any agency are appointed by the government of the day, but that they do enjoy some autonomy and some resemblance of arms-length relationship from government. I have to believe that the board members take the time to educate themselves of their mandate and believe that they have the right to operate within that mandate.

Mr. Speaker, the recent firing of the board of directors at the Northwest Territories Power Corporation does nothing to instill confidence in this government for the people of the Northwest Territories. This sets a dangerous precedent, Mr. Speaker, whereby board members from around the North feel that if they come out against any government policy or direction, that they will be fired. It is kind of like a big-brother-is-watching scenario.

Let me be very clear, Mr. Speaker, that I was dead-set against the one-rate zone proposed by the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. I cannot say that I ever want to see this resurrected again, Mr. Speaker, nor do the constituents of Hay River North, whom I represent. I did apply to the Public Utilities Board to be an intervenor, to speak against the Power Corporation's one-rate zone. I did this with the understanding that a process was in place and that there was a mechanism in place to protect the public.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard clearly from my constituents that a one-rate zone should not be the answer of the Power Corporation's deficit.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, colleagues. I would like to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to thank Gord Stewart and his board members for their time and commitment to the Power Corporation. I think that it will be some time before we regain their level of experience and expertise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to continue the debate regarding the firing of the board of directors of the NWT Power Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, we have a protocol in regard to how we deal with staff of this government. We have protocol with regard to how we deal with the unions that take care of the employees of the Government of the Northwest Territories. We have policies, procedures, there are certain steps that we take to ensure that due process is followed before we evict or exclude a person's position from this government.

Mr. Speaker, what I find cumbersome is exactly the time it took from this government, knowing that a decision was made to move on different initiatives, such as the application that was filed with the Public Utilities Board back in August, and then hearing the government say "Well, we informed the board that we wanted them to halt all procedures by way of a letter or a directive that came from this government."

The thing that gets me, Mr. Speaker, is who is telling the truth here? You talk to someone who is a director of the corporation, and they state clearly that a letter was received with no relevance or statement to a one-rate zone in the letter. So on one hand, we heard the Premier, through a statement in the House, that clear direction was given to the board back in August to withdraw the application on the one-rate zone. So unless we have access to the letter that the Premier is talking about and how the direction decision was made, we cannot violate or get clear direction on exactly what was stated and what was in that letter, unless it means that we can do it through offering the director the ability to table that letter in this House so we can all get a copy of it.

Mr. Speaker, I for one find it awfully hard to understand how we have one Minister supporting the one-rate zone, who still publicly states that he supports it, and a Premier who evicted a board of directors, whose credibility has been tarnished, and whose individual rights as Northerners...we know these individuals personally.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, colleagues, especially Mrs. Groenewegen.

-- Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that as individuals and as Northerners, we are a small-knit community where everyone knows everyone else. For myself, I am saddened to hear of people such as Gord Stewart, Rod Hardy...people who have put their careers on the line to assist this government in different areas to sit on boards, agencies and take the directorship of companies and corporations that this government may have an interest in, but for us to take the time to realize what has this government done, not only to a public utilities hearing process, but to the individual rights and privileges and tarnish these individuals' credibility. I for one think that is something that as a government, we never do to other leaders and to other directors of any corporation, regardless of who is right or who is wrong.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Premier more questions regarding what is in the letter.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my Member's statement is on a little lighter note. Today, I wish to honour a student from Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk who took part in a literacy contest last spring by writing a letter to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Not only did she take part but she tied for second place in the grade 4 to 6 category with this letter:

Talking to Queen Elizabeth:

Hi, I am Kate Ann Jacobson. I am 11 years, six months, and 24 days old. My school's name is Mangilaluk School. I am in grade 6. My teacher's name is Robin Hayslip. She is nice.

I live in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada. We live in the Arctic. We eat pipsi (dryfish). We make this out of fish we catch in the fishnets. We cut it up and hang it until it is dry.

We also eat mipku. We make it out of caribou meat. We grind it up and spread it across screens. Well, that is how my dad makes it. Other people make it different.

Oh yeah, we eat muktuk too. We catch a whale, cut it up and put it in oil and let it dry. We hunt for caribou, polar bears and geese, ducks and ptarmigan. We eat them after we kill them.

We have three stores, and their names are Corner Store, Northern, and Savilles, and two restaurants. Their names are Tuk Inn and Pingo Park, and they are also our hotels.

I like driving around with friends on ski-doo. I love it when Tuk has Beluga Jamboree. It is a big event. There are ski-doo races, kids games, people selling stuff in their tents, and a lot of people go down to the harbour. In the summer, I love going to summer camp. We go swimming, learn how to talk Inuvialuktun, and slide in the mud.

I like to spend time with family. I am proud to be an Inuvialuit.

By Kate Ann JacobsonGrade 6Mangilaluk SchoolTuktoyaktuk, NWT, Canada

Mr. Speaker, honourable colleagues, please join me today in honouring the student's efforts in literacy. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of my constituents, I would like to take this opportunity to make my Member's statement today in memory of Faye Deva Virginia Hansen, who passed away this year at a very young age.

Faye was born on June 22, 1982. Her parents were Roy and Maria Hansen. In 1983, the family moved to Fort Smith, then onto Hay River and then to Cambridge Bay, finally returning home to Inuvik in 1994.

Faye recently graduated from Samuel Hearne Secondary School in June. She met many friends along the way and held them all very dear to her heart. She enjoyed travelling and going out on the land and she enjoyed the opportunity. Her dear friends said she would often reminisce about those good times.

Faye worked for the Arctic Nature Tours office for the past two summers. Faye greeted the visitors. She made them feel so welcome to the Western Arctic with her beautiful Delta smile. A professional photographer had taken several slide photos of her and was able to hold onto the wonderful memory to share with other visitors.

She was a very confident and helpful employee and because of her excellent work habits, she had developed a lot of potential with the tour company. The loss they had shared with the family was difficult for all of her co-workers as well.

Faye was very approachable. She meant so much to all who knew her. We are all so blessed to have shared memories with Faye. We will forever miss her soft voice, sweet smile and heart of gold, and hold her precious memories close to our hearts. So say her friends. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.