Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've been clear in this House that I oppose the NWT Power Corporation using power-limiting devices in the winter months. Life is hard and expensive in our small communities and a lack of heat life-threatening. People have their power throttled, and they don't know when the power will be turned off. This makes it impossible for a family to heat their homes properly and feed and care for their families. After I raised my objections, I was pleased to see power corporation responded positively in mid-March. Cabin Radio reported, "NWT Power Corporation has promised to disable all power-limiting equipment to residents' homes for the duration of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic."
Mr. Speaker, did I miss something? Has the pandemic ended because NTPC has announced last week, starting November 9th, they'll be starting to use these power-limiting devices and starting collections? The timing is off, Mr. Speaker, right when the cold weather is setting in. This announcement in March, was it a public relations stunt because we don't sell too much power in summer months? The GNWT has to step up and stop this inhumane practice of using power-limiters.
The use of load-limiting devices is standard practice in Canadian utilities, they say. I say that it doesn't make it okay. This is the North, a harsh reality, a different climate, and other parts of Canada are a lot warmer than where we're from. It's minus 26 back home right now. That's not including the wind. NTPC has $2 million overdue accounts, but the government can find $9.3 million to give to Canadian North, an asset for-profit business, through this pandemic. We could find $2 million to help our people. The dollars for helping struggling residents in remote communities through winter months made tougher than most ongoing COVID crisis. Otherwise, I'm going to proceed with the plan to introduce the motion to make load-limiters illegal in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.