I am wondering if the Minister will commit to specifically working on the eviction protocols and policies that the LHAs and LHOs currently work with to evict people who are not paying rent or are not meeting tenancy agreements, to see where Health and Social Services can further support LHOs and LHAs to see housing success for the people of the Northwest Territories.
The rental office is a division of the Department of Justice.
I realize that the rental officer is part of Justice, but what I am referring to is: the LHAs and the LHOs go through a methodical process before they evict somebody, and they try their best to provide people with support from their LHOs and LHAs. LHOs and LHAs simply are not mental health counsellors, and they are not addiction counsellors. I am wondering if Health and Social Services will lend some support to the NWT Housing Corporation to see where Health and Social Services can further support them in that process.
The supports are there. They may not be well known, so certainly, I would like the LHAs and the LHOs to be aware of the Community Counselling Program, child and youth care counselling program in their communities so that they can make known to their tenants that these services are available to them and that then, hopefully, the tenants will take that up and will get the assistance they need. The Member may also be referring to housing support workers. I know there was a pilot program in Behchoko where there was somebody who was specifically working with tenants on housing stabilization, and that I think was more of a navigator position. That is really something that my colleague at the NWT Housing Corporation could speak to in more detail.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table to following document: "Northwest Territories Law Foundation 37th Annual Report, July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following documents: "Follow-up letter for Oral Question 491-19(2), Fire Services for Ingraham Trail Residents;" and "Follow-up letter for Oral Question 511-19(2), Alternative Voting Methods for Communities." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I will now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Cleveland.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022, for Lands.
Thank you. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess.
---SHORT RECESS
I now call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 286-19(2), Main Estimates 2021-2022. Does the Minister of Lands have any opening remarks?
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair. I am here to present the 2021-2022 Main Estimates for the Department of Lands. Overall, the department's estimates propose a decrease of $939,000, or 4 percent, over the Main Estimates 2020-2021. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the Department of Lands while continuing to meet the Government of the Northwest Territories fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.
Highlights of these proposed estimates include:
a sunset of $976,000 for the Addressing Equity Lease Initiative;
a sunset of $453,000 for base funding received at devolution for the compensation and benefits shortfall for transferring federal employees and one Director of Land Administration position which has been double funded since devolution;
a sunset of $75,000 for the Agricultural Strategy Implementation Initiative;
additional funds of $309,000 to support implementation of the Unauthorized and Potential Rights-Based Occupancy Initiatives; and
$253,000 in additional funding to support and staff the Wek'eezhii Land Use Planning Office.
These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 19th Legislative Assembly by:
continuing efforts to develop new regulations to bring the Public Land Act into force;
continuing progress on the equity lease initiative, which includes transferring equity leases into fee simple title in all regions of the Northwest Territories;
addressing the long-standing issue of unauthorized occupancy and identifying potential 'rights-based' cabins;
working with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to create a process guide for transferring land within municipal boundaries to community governments, and the Departments of Industry, Tourism and Investment; Environment and Natural Resources; and Health and Social Services to support the development of the food industry; and
continuing to work with the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs negotiators and external planning partners to advance land use planning in areas that do not currently have plans in place, including Wek'eezhii, Deh Cho, and the southeast NWT.
That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Does the Minister of Lands wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, I do.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me today Deputy Minister Sylvia Haener and director of finance and administration, Katherine Macdonald. We also have, in the waiting room, the assistant deputy minister of operations, Blair Chapman. We will be swapping him out with our deputy minister when it comes to operations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the tabled document?
Agreed.
Committee agrees. Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning with corporate management, starting on page 310 with information item on page 313. Questions? MLA for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. You got it right. I appreciate that. One of the items in this section is found on page 312, the Northwest Territories Surface Rights Board. I raised this with the Minister back in January about whether the funding had been received from the federal government for this. Can the Minister tell us whether there's an agreement in place for the funding for this board? Thank you.
I'll start, and then with your permission, I'll turn to the deputy minister. Presently, we don't have an agreement in place, but we've been in negotiations and conversations with the federal government. We just recently had an update that I would like to share with the House and, with your permission, turn to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've been in pretty frequent contact with Canada in our work on reaching an agreement regarding the Surface Rights Board funding. The indications we've received, in fact, today, are very positive. They viewed the planning documents that we submitted favourably. They have indicated that we are well within our ability to reach an agreement soon, and it would be a five-year agreement. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Any further questions? Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Someone might want to start the clock going, but just can someone confirm for me that this board has been in existence now for eight years and that it has never, ever had a dispute brought to it? Is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
The Member is correct. We haven't had an issue brought forth to the board for the length of how long it has been there. I will ask the deputy minister for clarity on the duration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you. Yes, that time frame is accurate. Thank you.
Thank you. Any further questions?
Thanks, Mr. Chair. This board has been in place for eight years. It has never had a dispute. Can someone tell me what the cumulative total of the money that has been spent for this board has been over the eight years? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
For that kind of detail, we'll probably have to get back to the Member, but just so everybody is aware, this is an in-and-out. This is an agreement with the federal government. They give us the money, and then we give it to the Surface Rights Board. It's no indication from GNWT to spend any of their money into it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. We will take that as a promise to provide additional information. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't know. Based on what's in the current budget here and there are probably some start-up costs, it's probably safe to assume that probably somewhere between $2 million and $3 million has been spent to support this board. Look, I know some of the people who serve on it, the staff. This is not about the performance of any of these individuals. This is about an institution that has been set up and has nothing to do, quite frankly. I know I asked the Minister questions about this back in March. This board was set up under the previous Harper government. It was sort of forced on us, in my view, and really there are a number of issues and problems with the way the board has been set up. It's not a co-management body by any stretch of the imagination. All the board can really do is offer compensation. If there is a surface right holder and someone wants to mine under their property or where they are using something, all the board can really do is offer compensation. It can't actually say, "It's not a good idea to go ahead with that." With that in mind, is this act ever going to get reviewed by this government? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
For that, right now, no, we're not going to be reviewing this. The NWT Surface Rights Board Act meets Canada's obligations that arise from the Gwich'in, Sahtu, Dene, and the Metis comprehensive land claim agreements to establish surface rights legislation in the NWT, so it does meet that requirement. No, we have no desire to bring it forth. We have other obligations, legislation, and other work that we need to do that are priorities that we sent out from the mandate. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I think we have a difference of opinion about that. There were provisions in the land rights agreements, as well, for the arbitration panels to serve this function, and I think that would have been a far better way to deal with this than set up this separate legislation. We don't have the money secured for this. Why is it appearing in the budget if the money has not been secured, and what would happen if there was no agreement signed with the federal government? We would have to expend our own money? Is that what would happen? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, yes, probably me and the Member are going to disagree on why we need it. First and foremost, I respect his opinion, but in regard to the funding through the federal government, it's like all other federal government programs that are out there that we as the GNWT are mandated to work with and utilize. Sometimes, a negotiation takes a little bit longer because it's on their timing and that, so we need to work with them. Right now, we would just move along based on the fact that we feel very comfortable that we are close to signing it and we are able to complete the work and bring the money forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell me how long these negotiations have been going on with the federal government to secure funding? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
