Debates of February 24, 2021 (day 60)

Thank you, Member. Minister.

For that detail, I will have to actually ask the deputy minister for that answer. Thank you.

Deputy Minister.

Speaker: MS. HAENER

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was just referencing my notes to see if I had that with me, and unfortunately, I do not. Yes, there it is, buried. Currently, we do have six existing commercial leases for agricultural use on Commissioner's land. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member.

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have asked this previously, if we can look at somehow lowering the assessment or the lease rate that agricultural leases pay. I know the lease rates are quite generous, but there are some perverse incentives here. Every time an agricultural lessee builds infrastructure, then their assessment goes up, and they end up paying more tax. There's a bit of a perverse incentive to build large greenhouses. I recognize we are only having to deal with six farms, but one day maybe that can be 12 farms.

As part of this work, can we look at a subsidized rate for agricultural leases? I would have no issue if we gave people agricultural leases for free. If people agree to farm the land, I am completely happy to lose the very small amount we get in our budget that we actually take from them. I think right now the assessment process is creating a bit of a disincentive. As part of the pricing update, will the Minister create a lower rate for agricultural lessees? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you. I like the way he worded that really nicely. It's part of our evaluation process. In phase 1 of our Public Land Act is agricultural leases, how it is impacted, and how we are going to do it. For further detail, I will actually, with your permission, go to the deputy minister. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Deputy Minister.

Speaker: MS. HAENER

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Government has within its ability to advance policy objectives even through land pricing. One example currently is the seniors discount for lease rent. Certainly, other jurisdictions use those abilities to apply certain incentives or reduce pricing for agricultural land and those types of initiatives or even other industrial activities on land. That is certainly something that we would want to contemplate and consider with our partners in ITI. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member.

Rylund Johnson

Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it's a great news headline that we will charge our existing farmers less every year on their lease rents. I will ask MACA one day to charge them less on their taxes. As part of the business plan, one of the measures is that the department is going to increase the amount of land leased by the GNWT for agricultural purposes by region and location. One of my concerns with this is we don't actually have a database of what land is available for agricultural use. We kind of wait for people to come to us, and they have to explore that list to see whether it's subject to a withdrawal or available for leasing. Can the department go out and identify all of the land that is potentially available for agricultural leasing? I think that getting that information out there would really encourage people, even if it's the existing lessees, to know that they could expand and that there is land available, and we will work with them. Can the department go out and identify that, considering the mandate item says that they will actually measure that amount of land, but I don't believe we know how much we presently have? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Thank you. I appreciate the Member asking me this on the floor. He asked me in Committee of the Whole. Right now, no, we are not doing that. We have prioritized a number of projects that we need to get done. Once those projects are done, that is something that we can go out and do. Presently, we have a whole bunch of priorities that we need to get done with the Department of Lands, and we need to be respectful of that moving forward. We will take the Member's idea and put it in our plans, but presently, no, we are not making that commitment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Are there any further questions? Any Members? Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. My understanding was that the work on the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, there had been some money in the EIA budget to look at that work. It's been deleted. Is that work now going to be picked up by the Department of Lands? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Minister.

For that clarity, for the second round of questions, I will ask the deputy minister to answer that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Deputy Minister.

Speaker: MS. HAENER

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Department of Lands role has been a supportive one with EIA, and our work to date on this project has been coordinating GNWT input on regulatory improvements to MVRMA regulations. I would expect that that would continue to be our potential role going forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think that's all I have, but in reply to the Minister, yes, I had to have a second round because I wasn't actually getting any answers in the first round. That's it. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Member. Any further questions from any of the Members? If there are no further questions, please turn to page 318. Lands, planning and coordination, operations expenditure, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $7,680,000. Does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Thank you, Members. Please return now to the department summary found on page 307. Lands, operations expenditures, total department, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $22,425,000. Does the committee agree?

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Agreed.

Mr. O'Reilly.

Committee Motion 80-19(2): Tabled Document 286-19(2): Main Estimates 2021-2022 - Lands - Deferral of Department (page 307), Carried

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Lands at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Speaker: SOME HON. MEMBERS

Question.

Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Consideration of the Department of Lands, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, operating expenditures, total department, is deferred. Thank you, Minister, and thanks to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. What is the wish of committee? Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you.

The motion is in order. The motion is nondebatable. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Report of Committee of the Whole