Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to talk about the high cost of energy in our communities and the high cost of power, especially in diesel communities, and the continued rise in regard to diesel and in regard to the effect it will have on our power rates, home heating fuel and, more importantly, on this government’s ability to provide programs and services.
Mr. Speaker, we have a public application process for riders, yet we just saw a major increase in that last application process. It is costing the government something like $2 million every time we file an application through the PUB process. Also, our Territorial Power Support Program continues to rise and is in excess of almost $10 million and rising every day.
Mr. Speaker, the whole energy costs in the territory — where we pay for riders from residential energy cost riders to general energy rate riders to diesel riders to shortfall riders to water rate riders — are almost to a point where these riders are overtaking
people’s costs of maintaining their own homes and also the cost for businesses to sustain themselves.
Mr. Speaker, this effect has probably one of the biggest impacts we’re going to see in the 16th Assembly. We do have to react to it sooner rather than later. The cost of producing energy in our communities is related to diesel. We have no alternative means of generating power in a lot of our diesel communities. More importantly, this is having a major effect on our business communities, from the northern stores to the co-ops to any entrepreneur who wants to run a business in our communities but cannot keep the lights on. I hate to say that a few people may have to turn the lights off and move their businesses where it’s less expensive to operate and maintain them.
Mr. Speaker, this government has to take action on this matter. At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister responsible for the Energy Corporation questions on exactly where we’re going with this matter.