Henry Zoe

Madam Chair, I move that Bill 17 be amended by -- how am I going to put this now -- by inserting:

11. This act comes into force on the day the Civil Marriage Act (Canada) comes into force.

Thank you. Just to follow up on what my colleague is saying; first of all, I guess I want to make a comment. I don’t know why this particular legislation, Bill 17, is a high priority for this government.

---Applause

Number one. There are other priorities, like the Wildlife Act, that have been sitting on our books for the last how many years…

You have me really confused now. On the same-sex marriage and unmarried couple, if they are living together more than six months or less than six months or a day or two days, the Conflict of Interest Act would apply to them. If something happens, then they have to fall under that act to determine something. I guess it doesn’t matter how long they live together then. Is that the point under the Conflict of Interest Act?

Mr. Chair, I had a question on clause 1. I wanted some more clarification.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if I could ask the Minister if he could kindly intervene with the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs in their lands section to make sure that my constituent’s land lease can go through, although they may be in a transitional phase. The reason I am saying that, Mr. Speaker, is that we’re in critical need of housing in our communities and there are a number of clients that require these leases not only for obtaining housing from the Housing Corporation, but there are some other clients that need their land leases to obtain funding from the banks to do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I’d like to ask the Minister why are my constituents having difficulty obtaining land leases for Commissioner’s land and Crown land in the Tlicho communities. Thank you.

I move we report progress.

Just for clarity for the Members, it gives us an opportunity to…The way it reads now, it will come into force as soon as we give it assent in this House. So what this amendment does is to delay it to a day certain. Day certain meaning either the first session of the 38th Parliament when they prorogue, or when the Civil Marriage Act comes into force. So whatever happens with the Civil Marriage Act, if it dies or gets passed, our legislation will continue to come into force at either of those two times. This is what the motion is saying. It will give more comfort to most of us on this side of...

Madam Chair, I would like to withdraw that motion and I would like to move another one.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we talk a lot in this House about the power that the federal government has over us in terms of the purse strings which they hold. However, Mr. Speaker, what we don’t talk enough about is the power that the federal government has in the Northwest Territories when it comes to the appointees of federal boards and agencies.

Mr. Speaker, the members of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board are federally appointed as are the members of the Mackenzie Valley Impact Review Board, and this is to name only a few. The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water board, for...