Louis Sebert

Yes, I will undertake to read the report, and certainly I would be prepared to answer questions in the future about the report, or perhaps make a statement with respect to it.

I do want to say something about the legal aid system. I was a long time working in that system and so worked often with lawyers from other jurisdictions. They found it to be the gold standard generally of legal aid systems. We had quite a bit of coverage, so there were not people who were unrepresented in court. I think it's very easy to defend the legal aid system itself. I will look at the report and certainly be happy...

The Victims Service Program is a fundamental component of how we provide support for victims in the Northwest Territories. There are 11 community-based victim services in eight different communities. They service those communities, and they also travel often with the courts to other communities to assist with victims, not necessarily with the courts, so I think they sometimes travel with the courts, but they do act in all the communities, including not only the larger ones. So there is victim assistance coverage for the whole of the Northwest Territories. Admittedly, there are victim...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents entitled "Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2016 Annual Report"; "NTPC Capital Adjustments 2017-2018 Budget"; and, further to my Return to Written Question 6-18(3), a document entitled "Land Transfers in the Northwest Territories: 2010-2011 to 2016 -2017." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Of course, that depends on the value of the lands as assessed by the MACA assessment unit. That is with respect to Commissioner's land. For an average-sized lot, the cost is often in the area of about $2,000 a year. However, as Members will know, we are proposing a reduction from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, and so that $2,000 lease fee would then be reduced to $1,000 per year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Department of Lands will and does work with lessees who are less than 90 days in arrears. However, once it reaches that point, they can work with the Department of Finance.

The assessed values of Commissioner's land parcels is determined by the assessors in MACA's assessment unit, which is a unit independent of the land managers in the Department of Lands. They use an approach that is consistent from community to community across the Northwest Territories to determine the assessed value of each parcel. If the occupant of the parcel disagrees with the assessed value, there are appeal mechanisms through MACA that can implemented to review the assessment.

Territorial land value is determined by an appraised value of land as required by the Northwest Territories land...

Yes, Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They are different, as the Member opposite has mentioned. Part of that is for historical reasons. One of them is based on the pre-devolution federal approached pricing, which we inherited, of course, in 2014, and one is our territorial approach on pricing.

The differences in lot pricing have become evident since 2014 and the creation of the Department of Lands. We are aware of the differences, and hopefully the differences will be less. As Members know, we are implementing an $840 minimum so that there will be a similarity between the minimum rates on the leases...

Yes. After the initial discussions, Mr. Chair, with respect to this matter, we went from three to five positions, as there was an interest to resolve this matter faster. We will have to make the allocation of positions dependent, of course, on office space and some other considerations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As I mentioned, letters were sent out to the groups I mentioned, and no responses, negatively or positively, were received by February 3, 2015, which, as I said, was approximately 60 days later. No compensation has been paid, as I understand it, to this point.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do know that there was consultation, and I just want to make sure I get my dates right. In December, formal consultation, December 2014, that is, the department sent formal consultation letters regarding the possible fee simple transfer to the Akaitcho Territory Dene First Nations, ADFN, Northwest Territories Metis Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, and Tlicho government. Copies of the letters were also sent to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation chiefs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.