Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to address the need for this government to be consistent in the initiatives that it brings forward. I would like to focus on two examples which have come up during the last year, which emphasizes how important it is to build on a common vision in order to create a unified territory, which is the goal of the document Towards A Better Tomorrow.

One of the much talked about issues during this session has been the government's proposed harmonization initiative. There has been a lot of debate about this initiative, both for and against, Mr. Speaker. During the discussions, I have been deeply disturbed at the lack of knowledge that Cabinet has about what impact this initiative will have on seniors, students and single parents. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that Cabinet is promoting a strategy that is set to begin on April 1st without having considered its impact on target groups. At the other extreme, Mr. Speaker, Cabinet refuses to address the issue of a one-rate zone for power throughout the Territories. We have information on what power users are paying in the communities and the Northwest Territories. The Power Corporation has a profit margin that they have to meet and using this, the Public Utilities Board could easily establish a one-rate zone for the territories. Mr. Speaker, on February 20th, I asked the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation to put the issue of a one-rate zone back on the table for discussion. I was told that I would have to wait until the energy strategy was done. We have all the information, but Cabinet refuses to discuss this issue.

This is where we are not consistent in the way we do things. In this case, we have all the information we need to proceed and we know what the impact will be, both positive and negative, but Cabinet refuses to discuss this issue. In the case of harmonization, information is not available, impacts are unknown, but Cabinet is still going ahead with this. As we know, the harmonization initiative and Cabinet dropping the one-rate zone for electric power will both have a negative impact for the smaller communities. I think this government needs to look at why we are here. Is it to meet the needs of all Northerners or is it to follow the wishes of Cabinet? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause