Louis Sebert

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we did hear at lunch, of course, these assets have been turned over through the process, the bankruptcy process, from NTCL to our government. Detailed questions might be better addressed to the Minister of Public Works and Services.

The Department of Lands, of course, is regulator of these properties, and there has been a very preliminary inspection of the vessels and certain parcels of land, but there was no environmental testing of soil or land. I understand also that it was noted that there were some untended barges moored off the dock in Tuktoyaktuk which would be...

Mr. Speaker, I am willing to have that discussion. I don't know whether I am willing to make that move, because I would have to consider the RCMP, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and also the judiciary's concerns. I have not spoken to the judiciary about this. We have meetings with them perhaps once a year. I will perhaps bring it up at the next meeting. We have looked at this situation, and generally speaking I would have to say we do seem to be content with the present arrangement, but we are certainly always open to new ideas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The sheriff's office is doing 80 per cent of the escorts at this time. I have actually found the statistics. In the last year, there were 3,241 escorts and the RCMP only did 455. I imagine there would always be circumstances in which it would be required that the RCMP do the escorts. I don't know whether the figure of 20 per cent, which is roughly the number they do now, will go down.

Mr. Speaker, this is a complex question. I think we will have to go through the documentation. These lands are not only in Hay River. Those are the ones we often think about when we think about this bankruptcy, but there are Inuvialuit lands and there are lands in Norman Wells. I think we need to go through the documentation before we can give the Member an informed response. Thank you.

I don't believe the federal government has been contacted about the specific lands that have been turned over to us from NTCL. As I did mention, there was a report made to the federal government about some barges moored off the dock in Tuktoyaktuk because that is their responsibility. We're still going through the paperwork of the acquisition of these properties, and I don't think we have been in contact with the federal government to discuss any potential longterm liability. Their position is likely to be that they have none in view of the time that has gone by, since NTCL was a federal Crown...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize two constituents, Lynn Napier-Buckley, who you've heard about, Mayor of Fort Smith since 2015, and also my constituent Marcel Leguerrier, a parent of one of our pages.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Brad Mapes, former mayor of Fort Smith, who is a chaperone this week for two of our pages, Caleb Brake and Joseph Leguerrier.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Follow-up Letter to Oral Question 436-18(2): Inmate Transfer for Court Appearances," and further to my Return to Written Question 14-18(2), a document entitled, "Commercial and Industrial Leases of Commissioner's Land Issued Since February 15, 2011." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, openness and transparency are fundamental principles of democracy that contribute to government accountability. These principles underpin our debates and discussions here in this House, where government plans, policies, and budgets are presented for examination and approval by the public's elected representatives. Every day during session, Members ask Ministers to explain government proposals, decisions, and actions in a public forum open to anyone who wants to attend or watch our proceedings on television.

We see the commitment to openness and transparency in the Guiding...

I will respond in the fullness of time. Thank you.