David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a few more questions to the Minister of MACA. I know in response to some questions he had earlier when I asked whether it was a sale or a lease, and he had mentioned that it is a lease now but it initially was a sale. I’d like to ask the Minister, if it was initially a sale, how the application proceeded so far along without a survey of the land being conducted.

Again, there are a lot of questions that I could ask surrounding this. The whole process has left a lot to be desired when it comes to consultation and transparency and if you look to the legislation and the policy, it’s really short on guidance to the department on what it can and can’t do in terms of consultation. I’d like to ask the Minister why MACA has refused to let the Town of Norman Wells have a look at that lease. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister of MACA getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the 36,000 acre land deal in Norman Wells. I had questions a few weeks back where the Minister suggested that it was a sale, and in media reports the suggestion was a sale but just yesterday in the House during Committee of the Whole, I believe the deputy minister referred to it as a lease, in response to my colleague Ms. Bisaro’s questions. The Minister, in a statement to Ms. Bisaro, called it a purchase and then called it a lease. I would like to just get it...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of other things, if I could. On the bridge, I know some other Members were talking about delays. You know, it’s one thing if the project does get delayed for a month or two or six; it’s another thing if it costs us $20 or $30 million dollars more than what we have got budgeted for the project and that’s the thing we really need to keep our eye on, is the overall cost of the project.

To date, as I mentioned earlier, the management seems to be there. The diligence and the day-to-day management of the project seems to be there. Again, having not seen the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It wouldn’t be my belief that the Minister should be informing us on every transaction, but I think we’re moving into a new area, a new realm of how we do business and again it’s going to be a bigger issue post-devolution.

The majority of issues the Minister would sign off on are quarries, residential lots, things of that nature. When we’re talking about attractive land, three parcels of land totalling 36,000 acres, I think it’s a different ballgame. I think going forward we need to ensure that we have the legislation and policies in place that are going to let...

Has a survey been done of the 36,000 acres that are being disposed of by the department?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s very important as we move toward a post-devolution setup here in the Northwest Territories, that we have rules and policies in place so that all communities know exactly what the rules of engagement are when it comes to disposal of Commissioner’s land in and around communities.

I’d like to ask the Minister if he could entertain looking at special consultation requirements and principles that would apply to transfers of community block transfer lands where the transfer is to be made to a third party and not a community government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That leads to a little bit more confusion, because when I asked the Minister a few weeks back what the selling price was, it was $1.6 million. Would the Minister be able to divulge the financial obligations of the Norman Wells Land Corporation as it relates to that lease? Is it $1.6 million for a 30-year lease, or what are the financial parameters surrounding that lease? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak today about the Department of MACA and the deal for 36,000 acres of land coming from the block land transfer in Norman Wells. Mr. Speaker, in my statement today my questions regarding the disposal of the 36,000 acres has nothing to do with the aspirations of the Norman Wells Land Corporation, and I wish them all well in their pursuits. What my questions are intended to do is find out what the rules of engagement are for MACA when it comes to disposing of Commissioner’s land. What happened in this deal and how it happened are important for all other...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have just a few comments on the Minister’s opening comments. I continue to be shocked at some of the words that are coming out of the Department of Transportation pertaining to the Deh Cho Bridge. In the Minister’s opening comments, he says, “However they do not yet reflect the revenue or cost savings that will accrue once the bridge is in operation.” Maybe if I can at some point... I know the Minister won’t respond until after all the Members have commented, but I would like the Minister to explain to me how putting over $5 million on an annual basis in a...