Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Granted the issue of power rates and how those rates are arrived at are a complicated matter, but I’d like to quote from unedited Hansard from yesterday in the House. I’m quoting Minister Miltenberger. “One of the big factors in Yellowknife and Hay River, plus a couple of small communities, is that there is another power distributor, NUL. While we provide and sell power at wholesale rates, the provider in these communities adds their own costs on top of that, which is why there is such a distinct difference...”
Mr. Miltenberger’s comments imply that there is a different rate structure in Hay River and in Yellowknife, when in fact the cost of power is arrived at on a cost-to-service basis. That’s the type of industry this is and all rates are developed and approved by the Public Utilities Board. All communities in the Northwest Territories are rate-based on the cost of service, and these costs are highly scrutinized to ensure that they’re eligible and these rates are approved by the PUB.
Could the Minister please clarify or confirm that this is in fact the case? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.