Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chair, I mean, obviously I appreciate colleagues acknowledging that -- because the public doesn't realize that in this system we go through all of these materials with -- relevant Ministers will appear with colleagues at AOC confidentially to go through so that everyone's prepared, and questions -- I've had everything asked for -- sometimes people don't like to ask their questions because it's much more dramatic to ask them here. Sometimes they ask their questions and gives us the chance to bring materials. And, Mr. Chair, in this case, I did not have this question. I don't disagree that we do argue about the $5,000 things and not the $12 million things, and we should argue about the $12 million things. I appreciate that comment. But just so we're clear, yes, I did not anticipate this because this didn't come up previously. But that said, Mr. Chair, I have been sort of scrambling here with folks online. And I know there was a reasoning for it, and the reasoning in part with the 4 million -- or the $12 million over four is that puts us to a point in time when we are anticipating that there may well be an opportunity for NTPC to bring on industrial customers which would then -- at a rate that would reduce the requirement for this subsidy to continue. So that's the magic in that math. The details of that, I'd rather share with committee in confidence because some of that is not my commercial information to share. And I'd be happy to do that. That won't necessarily impact what happens on this decision, but I hope that gives at least some understanding as to the rationale underlying it. There can always be other choices, Mr. Chair. That is always the nature of policymaking and decision-making. But there was a rationale to it, and it was get us to that four-year period. After which point, based on the numbers we're expecting, the subsidy would not be required because a different source of funding would be available. Thank you.
Caroline Wawzonek on Committee Motion 71-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 279-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025 - Deferral of Directorate, Department of Finance
In the Legislative Assembly on February 7th, 2025. See this statement in context.
Committee Motion 71-20(1): Deferral Motion - Tabled Document 279-20(1): Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2024-2025 - Deferral of Directorate, Department of Finance
First Reading Of Bills
February 7th, 2025
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