Kusugak defends delay of power rate change until 2014

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley says the Qulliq Energy Corporation’s 2014 rate adjustments should be scrapped and left to a new assembly to consider. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley kept the pressure up as he continued to challenge fellow Rankin Inlet MLA and Minister of Community and Government Services Lorne Kusugak in the Nunavut legislature this week.

After what one MLA called a “spicy” debate about fuel contracts March 5, Curley again took on Kusugak, who is also minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corp., March 6 to discuss another contentious issue: the power rate adjustments scheduled to go into effect in 2014.

Announced at the start of the legislature’s 2010 spring session, the QEC has since proposed to delay rate adjustments across the territory until April 1, 2014.

When implemented, power rates would likely go up in some communities, such as Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet, while customers in some other communities would pay less.

With the delay in changing rates, Curley says the new rate adjustments should be the responsibility of the new government that comes to power in 2014.

“The decision to defer it is… passing it onto the next government, which will not be empowered to act until after the next election,” Curley told the assembly March 6. “I believe it would be much better if the phase two rate increase was scrapped and have it become an election issue.”

“Perhaps you will be the only member voting for that rate increase at the time,” Curley said to Kusugak.

Kusugak then accused Curley of stating a falsehood, as the word “sallujuq” translates from Inuktitut to English.

“You should know that I am not recommending a rate increase,” Kusugak shot back. “It is getting really tiresome for Mr. Curley to be putting words into our mouths every time he sits down.”

Kusugak was then called on a point of order and asked to withdraw the statement. (A member cannot accuse another member of lying, which is considered unparliamentary language.)

But Kusugak said he stands by QEC’s decision.

Delaying the move towards territorial-wide rates will give customers time to adjust to the rate increase implemented in April 2011, he said, when power rates rose by about 19 per cent across the territory.

“If we had to increase electrical bills, then Nunavummiut would be greatly impacted,” Kusugak said.

“We do agree with the recommendation that we have to change the utility rate that the Qulliq Energy Corp. undertakes, but even if we were to increase the rates at this time, more people and businesses would be impacted and their bills would start creating issues.”