Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I support this motion. I realize what happened a year ago and I would like to remind the Members and I'll quote from Hansard, October 16, 2000, Mr. Kakfwi, "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in early August, Cabinet directed that the Power Corporation should cease consulting on a range of issues, including the single-rate zone. This was not properly communicated, apparently, to the Power Corporation. They went ahead and filed their papers for a single-rate zone in early September. When we had a Cabinet meeting here two weeks ago, we revisited that decision. The decision was maintained and direction was given. They refused to comply, and so their appointments were revoked and a new interim board was put in place. The interim board is expected to withdraw that application and resubmit a new application so that the public process can continue." That is what happened to the single-rate zone and I think for people here that keep harping on the issue of, well, a subsidy is something that we should really look at...What about the individual contractor that has a business who does not get a subsidy? What about someone that runs the Co-op or the Northern Store whose power bills in the winter are in the range of $20,000 a month? All of those dollars that it costs to maintain a small business in the community is outrageous. You cannot compete with Yellowknife, Hay River or Fort Smith in that sector. That is whom this bill is really meant for. We have to really realistically think of the economic well being of the territory as a whole.

We talk about pipelines, diamond mines and all these major things that are going to happen. Why should somebody set up a business in Tulita or in Fort McPherson or anywhere else where you are on power diesel generation, knowing that it is cheaper to basically just fly in and fly out, drive your equipment in and drive it out at the end of the season because there is no reason for anyone to start a business in our small communities under this existing process. That is something that is missing in this discussion.

We keep focusing on a subsidy that you get based on the Yellowknife rate of 700 kilowatts a month. It is great for the residents, but it is not great for business and that is what I am trying to focus on with regard to these discussions. The Northwest Territories communities, especially the communities in the Beaufort-Delta region where they intervened on this issue at the last hearings a number of weeks ago, raised this issue. Regardless that this issue was on the agenda or not, they wanted to make their point clear that we in the Beaufort-Delta and in the Sahtu communities are paying through the nose when it comes to our economic well-being. So for someone starting in the diamond industry or a polishing facility or running Wal-Mart, you already have an upper hand in your business because no one from outside Yellowknife is able to compete because you are on the hydro grid.

I think as a government, we have to face this issue sooner or later. I think we can hide behind a subsidy and say well, you get a subsidy so you are taken care of, we are not taken care of. That is one segment of our community population that you consider. There are other sectors we have to consider and especially the business sector. As a government, we have to pay the actual costs of maintaining power in our communities, our streetlights or running of our municipalities. Those are costs that affect every one of us here. I think for you just to unilaterally say that you oppose the motion because you oppose it, I think you really have to think of what the political implications of doing nothing are. I think by doing nothing and just continuing on, we will always continue to see have and have-not communities.

The biggest asset we have as a government is the Power Corporation, which is owned by everyone, so why can't everyone benefit as a territory and enhance our economic well-being by ensuring that we have an electrical grid system that is not only competitive but it is fair across the board to all Northerners; regardless if you are in Holman Island, Tsiigehtchic, Colville Lake, Fort Smith, Yellowknife or Hay River?

I think it is important that we seriously realize what the pros and cons about the single rate zone are. Yes, there are pros to realizing that you do get a subsidy in the small communities, but you have a lot of communities who still depend a lot on diesel generation to run your furnace or your heating system or your power generator or even electrical outlets that you have in your communities have a lot to do with it, but you don't have another source of energy that runs your water treatment plants or maintains a lot of public facilities in your communities. Technically, you are paying for it. I think as a government and a legislature, we have to realize that the motion directs the government to consider resubmitting the application.

Another point I would like to make in regard to the Premier's statement in Hansard on October 16, 2002, a small sentence at the bottom of the page says "Cabinet should not reject the idea of a single-rate zone. It should stop consultation on it until the energy strategy is completed." That is an important point I make. The energy strategy has been completed. There is no reference to a single-rate zone. A single-rate zone is probably something that was said to them time and time again, yet they haven't mentioned it in their energy strategy. Or is that again another waste of a couple million dollars on a report that, as far as I am concerned, is fluff. It doesn't have anything in it that you can't get off the Internet. I think as a government that we should have taken that money, put it into a public hearing process for a single-rate zone. At the end of the day, we could have gotten a decision one way or the other, but at least we would have got something out of it.

I think it's important that we, as a government, realize that issue isn't going to go away. Hopefully the people who are running in this election will make this an election issue. I feel that our small communities and people outside the hydro grid system have just as much right to power in the Northwest Territories and be treated as fairly as anyone else. Especially coming from a small business community.

We talk about all these major projects in the Northwest Territories. But if we can't compete fairly, how can we expect to benefit fairly.

I would just like to close on a note that I will be supporting this motion, and at the right time I will be asking for a recorded vote.