Shane Thompson

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act.

The purpose of Bill 66 is to address issues that can be resolved through administrative and operational amendments without changing the overall intent of the Act. Bill 66 clarifies and modernizes certain definitions. It also gives the director of assessment greater authority in respect of first assessment orders, corrections to the rolls, and carrying out supplementary assessments. The bill updates provisions related to municipal boards of revision, the territorial boards of revision...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands is currently undertaking a broad review of the land management regime with regards to the traditional use of camps and cabins on public land. We're engaging with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations across the NWT to look at an appropriate regime for camps and cabins that are used to support Aboriginal harvesting rights. Lease fees for such camps and cabins on leases are part of that broader discussion. This may be resolved through engagement and collaboration with Indigenous government partners, which is in process. I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the regional study and potential EA for the Lockhart AllSeason Road has two different purposes. The regional study is intended to look at the impacts and benefits of the multiple activities in the region and make recommendations for decisionmakers to consider. A regional study will not replace land use planning or environmental assessment process, but it can inform those processes and improve their efficiencies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, I'd like to thank committee for all their hard work and the staff for being able to enhance and making this bill that much more, and we look forward to the building standards as the chairperson said in the next Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With anticipated increase in climate changedriven disasters, the GNWT and other provincialterritorial governments are exploring buyout options but this approach has significant implications for communities and residents and further policy work will need to be undertaken in consultation with community governments in this approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I do, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the federal DFAA program allows for acquisitions of property through a buyout. Disaster assistance reimbursement is provided to all provincial and territorial governments, including the GNWT, based on a sliding scale. All jurisdictions are responsible to pay any costs over what is reimbursed by the federal government. Historically the GNWT has been reimbursed for its disaster costs between 70 to 85 percent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We're switching two and bringing one in.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for most of us we have post offices located in our communities. However, some of the smaller communities in the Nahendeh riding, they do not. Four of the communities fall under the Fort Simpson's postal code. Nahanni Butte was one of those communities. Mail would get flown in from Fort Simpson to Nahanni Butte once a week, weather permitting. Once it arrives, somebody had to collect it from the airstrip and bring it to the band office where a staff person would sort it and get ready for residents to pick it.

Mr. Speaker, throughout the years, the community...

Yes. So I'd just like to clarify why we're not paused so we can get there. We have to find a lawyer that's an expert in this area. That's the challenge is to find somebody to do that right now. So if we find somebody and we're able to do, then we can get it going. But I'm being very realistic and response with this. Thank you.