Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think there’s a fundamental agreement that subsidies in the long term are not sustainable and not the goal of any operation like ours. But the reality is until we can make the cost of power affordable in the communities, we’ve embarked on the Territorial Power Support Program and in fact we also have $9 million in for a commercial subsidy to try to lower the cost of power and hopefully the food basket in communities. It is a cost, but for all of us that are on hydro, it’s something that we take for granted. The other thing that people on hydro never have to worry about is they never have to worry about 700 kilowatts, but all the other people in the small communities do. So this is an issue we have to be very careful of. We’ve made a commitment as a Territory and a government of the value of the regions and communities, and this is one of the costs that goes with it. But this is why we put $60 million into alternative energy to try to bring some of those costs under control. Thank you.
Michael Miltenberger on Recorded Vote
In the Legislative Assembly on March 2nd, 2009. See this statement in context.
Recorded Vote
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
March 1st, 2009
See context to find out what was said next.