[Microphone turned off] …the intent of the motion. We just finished about six months of work on the business plan, and that’s not to say that there’s no time when
a good idea doesn’t make sense. But it is into the final hours as we try to manage ourselves through the times we’re in.
I’ve also heard, across the floor, a number of MLAs speaking strongly against the subsidy they would have in place to cushion the rate shock of the increases as the Power Corp catches up to having five years or four years of no increases in their fuel costs. So if the Members opposite all said collectively that they want that subsidy pulled, and we go back to the Public Utilities Board, we could put all that money into this type of good common sense approach. In has been said repeatedly and emphatically by Members of the House, so I just want to make that offer. If there is unanimity, I’d be happy to go to Cabinet and look at putting that money, as Mr. Bromley suggests, don’t subsidize this, do this other good stuff, and that would free up money that we already have.
The other thing I just want to throw out there is when I talked to Mr. Moses about liquid natural gas, if in fact the liquid natural gas proves out to be as beneficial and cost effective as we think it is compared to diesel, then in relatively short order we’re going to be looking at not only Inuvik but other communities. We’re going to be looking at road communities to start with: Liard, Simpson, Wrigley, McPherson. I see it just says fuel, so I think we just want to keep that in mind before we run out and convert holus bolus, because we are literally weeks away from knowing whether we’re going to be able to make a significant investment, especially in the thermal communities, mainly thermal communities with liquid natural gas.
So I appreciate the feedback. We’ll work with committee. It doesn’t say here, but I’m assuming you want to put this into the business planning process as we go forward, which I’d be happy to do and give us a chance to factor in some of these changes that are right in our faces as it pertains to things like liquid natural gas.
This is a direction to Cabinet, so we’ll be abstaining from the motion. Thank you.