Mr. Speaker, one of the priorities set by the mandate of the 18th Assembly is to address our high cost-of-living. Affordability is the number one issue for Yellowknifers and it affects everything from power, to housing, to even job opportunities. Recently, claims have been made that Yellowknife consumers are possibly being overcharged for power, and frankly, Mr. Speaker, if this is true, I find that most egregious.
Northland Utilities has been driving this public discussion and has stated that the Northwest Territories Power Corporation is overcharging the residents of Yellowknife by setting the rate at 114 per cent of the cost to generate and transmit power to the City. This translates into Yellowknifers paying $500 more than residents of other communities.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, Northland Utilities claims, since 2008, the government has overcharged Yellowknife residents by $28 million. These claims by Northland have been followed by an aggressive media campaign and even a poll of residents conducted by foreign research, while the government's response to this has been silent to date. In fact, the last time I saw the NTPC in the media was over power rate increases.
Needless to say, this is not instilling confidence in our consumers. Communication has been a constant problem with this government and this is another clear example of that. It would be beneficial to Yellowknifers, residents of the small communities, and Members of this House if the government would make the effort to explain if there is a plan to make power generation more equitable and more affordable.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard from many of my constituents that this is an issue that means a lot to them. It is the subject of conversations around the water cooler, at the dinner table, and every time someone opens their power bill. What I have heard consistently is Northerners all want to be treated fairly in paying for power, and I want some clarity on this issue from this government. It's time for the Minister to demonstrate real leadership by explaining to this House and to Northerners what his plan is to deal with the high costs of power generation and how each community is treated fairly. Later, I will have questions for the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.