Picco takes on energy portfolio

Premier Paul Okalik created a new energy portfolio last week, which will be held by Health Minister Ed Picco, who is also the minister responsible for the Nunavut Power Corporation.

The new portfolio will encompass both NPC and the government’s petroleum products division, which was previously part of the department of public works.

The petroleum products division was the centre of the bad gas controversy this year and caused a major public relations nightmare for Public Works Minister Peter Kattuk.

However, Okalik said the reassignment of duties had nothing to do with Kattuk’s handling of the bad gas situation.

Next spring, the government will introduce legislation to create a new body called the Qulliq Energy Corporation. It will be run by the board of NPC and will have two major subsidiaries: NPC and the proposed Qulliq Fuel Corporation, a new Crown corporation that will take over the duties of the petroleum products division.

NPC would no longer be involved in fuel purchasing, storage and transportation. Those responsibilities would be transferred to Qulliq Fuel.

The amalgamation was one of the recommendations of the Ikuma II report, which was tabled in the assembly this past spring.

“Anything you touch on gas is always controversial,” Okalik said.

However, Picco says he is ready for any potential controversies. “I have weathered many storms in health,” he said.