Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the thing that interests me with this department is the affirmative action numbers. I don't know what they are. In our business plan, it just indicates, although the Department of Justice indicates the whole GNWT. In the whole GNWT, 30 per cent of the hires or employees are Priority 1 candidates, and only 12 per cent of the public service in the GNWT is Priority 2. Fifty-six per cent of the government is Priority 3. What I hear is that certain sections of this department, Department of Justice, have lower numbers than that. I guess I am hoping, as we go...

What I am asking the Minister is, all things being equal, there is a unit available and it can house the people on the waiting list. Let's say there was an incident where there is one individual who is looking for houses on the list, and then there is a family that is on the list. Let's say a single parent with three kids. If that was the case, is the Housing Corporation's policy to try to take care of the individual that has the larger family?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my next question was on -- the deputy had just answered was to talk about the land use plan for the NWT Metis Nation, but I would not ask the question because he already provided me the answer. That is all I have for now, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn't hear if the Minister said it wasn't reasonable or it is reasonable, but if he said it is reasonable, of course I have to disagree. We have elders in the community and, fortunately, they get the seniors relief, tax relief, so in this particular situation or this type of situation it's 50 per cent. So an elder whose income is Old Age Security, which is approximately $1,000 a month, is asked to pay $2,000 after their tax relief is applied, $2,000, so that's two months' worth of income for that elder. So is the Minister telling me that it's reasonable for people...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I didn't think it was appropriate for me to ask the deputy. I wonder if the deputy minister can give us the same type of detailed response on the land use plans for the Akaitcho land use plan. Thank you

I just didn't want to speak for other communities, but that's generally what I'm looking for. So if they're making them the same, I'm assuming that the Minister is now talking about going with a more reasonable amount? On the leases, previously we were getting leases in small communities for about $600 a year, and for the value and if you compared to other communities that's very much in line, but now we have new leases on old houses that could be as high as $4,000, which is kind of comparable to paying taxes on a house that's worth $750,000 to $1 million in the City of Yellowknife.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to thank the deputy for that response.

Mr. Chairman, I have a question for the Minister. Can the Minister tell me if the land use plans have to be in place and approved in accordance with the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act prior to its final settlement with the outstanding land rights groups? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask the Minister how old the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act is? Thank you.

No.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am going to speak about the lease costs here. Lease cost to the people in the communities. Currently the lease costs are very high. I indicated that in my questions to the Minister earlier about the cost of the lease being two to four months' salary for individuals and that. Of course as a committee, we are opposing the quick implementation of the increases to the land leases, land rent, land taxes, whatever, and what we are proposing is phased-in increases. I am totally against increases because they are too high as it is. I mean some are not that high...