Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is good to hear and when the consultant that has been hired is considering amendments to this, I would like to ask the Minister if he could commit to putting out a consultation paper or perhaps holding workshops in Hay River for meeting with the Territorial Farmers' Association to ensure that their input is registered and is reflected in any amendments that come forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Carrying on to page 3-25.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the number of concerns I have heard about PATA over the years and indications that were given just one year ago that the department was working on a full review, I am surprised at the Minister’s response. I would like to know why the department is backing away from a comprehensive review of this act. He referred to some minor amendments. I would like to know if any of those minor amendments will have a positive impact for those people using parcels of land that are indicated as agricultural. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Fiscal policy, operations expenditure summary, $745,000.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Property Assessment and Taxation Act is nearly 20 years old. A lot has happened in our territory since the act was passed in 1987. Land claim agreements have been signed, we’ve divided from Nunavut and there’s been a tremendous surge in resource development with much more on the horizon. The Property Assessment and Taxation Act has not kept pace with these changes with our policy goals or with best practices across the country.

In the last few years, there seems to have been a general consensus that it needs to be rewritten and updated. There have...

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Thank you. Activity summary, treasury, operations expenditure summary, $4.863 million.

Excuse me, Mr. Pokiak. Unfortunately, we were very close to 2:00 when you started your general comments, but I've been enjoying this so much I didn't take note of the clock. I'm sorry, I should have probably taken a break, but I need to recognize the clock. I will assure you you're name will be at the top of the list on Monday in Committee of the Whole, and we'll make sure you get your full 10 minutes on Monday; and longer, if you like. Sorry about that. Committee, I will rise and report progress, recognizing the clock, the hour being 2:00.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to speak about something different than what I had planned to speak about. I, too, listened with interest as the phone-in show proceeded on CBC Radio this morning. As a matter of fact, I took the opportunity to call in and offer my opinion as well. I believe that my opinion on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline has been very consistent and I have been saying the same things as many Members of this House have been saying. We had a theme day devoted to this topic and each of us spoke very passionately about some of the issues around the...