Louis Sebert

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am here today to discuss Bill 29, An Act to Amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Government Operations for their review of this bill and for the productive feedback that they have provided. A number of motions were made in committee, and I believe the bill has improved as a result of the work with standing committee.

Bill 29 amends the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to improve public accountability, the protection of personal privacy, access to government information, and to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are well aware of the issues that give rise to the motion, and I thank committee for the recommendation. As it is a recommendation, we will be abstaining. Thank you.

As I have said, we're not issuing new equity leases, and haven't been doing so for some time. I appreciate, when a new lease is issued, it is not an equity lease, and the parties would be simply bound by the terms of a new lease if a new lease is entered into. As I have said, we are not issuing new equity leases. Thank you.

As I mentioned, I do not know if these occur in all equity leases, but I certainly have seen a partial refund of equity in one document and a refund of equity in another. However, that dealt with situations of surrender or termination and dealt with circumstances in which a refund or a partial refund could be made. However, I am informed by my department that they have not come across a situation in Lands/MACA where a full or partial refund has been paid out. The clause may exist. It is subject to many conditions, and, apparently, as I say, they are not aware of any refunds having been paid...

Of course, if the lease is assigned, it is a contract that is assigned, and the government will honour the terms of that lease. We are, however, not issuing new equity leases.

Thank you. I would like to thank the Member for his question. I would also like to clarify and correct the responses I made yesterday to the questions from the Member for Nahendeh. In my response, I referred to a lease and stated I looked at a lease where there was a partial refunded equity. What I should have said was that I looked at an amendment to lease which contained a clause allowing for a refund of equity in certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions. I have had a chance to look at several documents today dealing with the issue of refund of equity or partial refund of...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Finding Common Ground." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

If the lease, again, is assigned to a new lessee, then that lessee takes over the terms of that equity lease. There may be circumstances, and this would depend on the terms of the lease, where a portion of the equity could be returned. I looked today at a lease where there was a partial refunded equity. There may be, in some cases, partial refunds of equity, but generally speaking, what happens is that, if the equity lease is assigned to a lessee, the new lessee takes over the terms of the equity lease.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The equity leases are contracts that the department is managing and administering in accordance with the lease terms and conditions. If an existing equity lease expires, the department places the lessee in what is known as an overholding tenancy, and so, if the equity portion is paid, the annual lease would be $1 per year. The department is bound by the terms of the lease, and we are allowing the lessee to go into an overholding position. Thank you.

As I mentioned, we are not issuing new equity leases. However, if a lease is assigned, then the new lessee takes over the terms and conditions of that equity lease. We are not, however, going to be issuing new equity leases.

As I say, there may be circumstances, and it was asked earlier by the Member opposite, about refunds. Again, looking at the portion of the lease that I have in front of me, I do see that, in some circumstances, there is a partial refund of equity. I don't know if there are cases where there is a full refund. In any case, just to repeat, we are not issuing new equity leases...