Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement with some questions on the Recreational Leasing Policy. First of all I want to clarify who knew what on the issue of the many so-called hunting and fishing leases granted by AANDC, particularly those on Walsh and Banting lakes.
Can the Minister confirm whether his department was informed by our federal land management partner of its intention to grant new leases in the exact areas and lakes where we are trying to introduce comprehensive land use management? And really, for that matter, can the Minister confirm whether any public process providing equal opportunity to applicants was carried out, or if these leases were a total surprise to everyone except the chosen few? In other words, what do we know about both the internal government-to-government business and the external reaching out to the public process?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We were unaware that they were going to be putting these leases out. Of course, we were quite concerned with all the work that we were doing, as far as the density study goes, around those areas. As far as the public process, I mean, I can’t speak to how AANDC does their business, but I think we would have all known in this building today if there was a public process as to the leasing of their lots. I can’t speak to what they were doing. I can only speak to what we knew and what we didn’t know.
Obviously, that’s not good. A government-to-government relationship you’d expect a lot better than that, and I think we also have a responsibility to try and be aware of what our residents are being exposed to or not.
As the Minister’s December 2012 letter to AANDC Minister John Duncan said, with the signing of the Devolution AIP, it’s more important now than ever before that our two organizations work together, and I appreciate the Minister saying that.
The Minister’s letter briefed the federal Minister on the work underway to develop the recreational leasing policy framework. But what is the explanation from the federal government on why these leases were granted in the very area we are trying to bring order to?
In a letter received back from Minister Duncan at the time, he reinforced our need to work together. That’s why we were quite surprised at the number of leases that were letting out. I followed that up with a letter to the new minister, Minister Valcourt, explaining to him our disappointment and the fact that all these leases were let while we were doing all this work and how we thought that might undermine the work that we’re doing.
I have not received a response back from Minister Valcourt. The letter just went out recently. We have asked the Minister to cease any applications that are being taken for federal land until we can do our work. I am waiting for a response. Once I get that, I will share it with Members of the House.
Thanks to the Minister for that response. The information that I received from our Minister indicates that AANDC has a heap of applications on file, so the potential is large for a lot more of these to be happening in the area that we’re trying to manage responsibly.
I appreciate hearing that the Minister has been in touch with the federal government on this and let him know that we’d like no further leases. I understand there is no response yet, but does the Minister agree that the next recreational leases granted on lands should, in fact, be decided by this government and not the federal government, given the pending devolution situation?
We were doing all the work because we knew that devolution was coming and we would have to have responsibility for all Crown land that is transferred over to Commissioner’s land. We had updated our regulations. We had done a lot of good density study work, and our regulations would have applied to any new leases that may be coming.
I do tend to agree with the Member that with devolution coming we would have assumed that they would have put any new leases on hold until after devolution, and then those applications could then come to the Commissioner and be regulated under our Commissioner’s Land Act. Again, we’ve expressed our disappointment with the fact that they let all these leases, and are eagerly waiting for the response to see if they will discontinue any lease applications.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks again for that response. My constituents include the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and many of the Akaitcho people. Every new land alienation in the Chief Drygeese territory makes it more complex and difficult to finally conclude a just land settlement for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. The federal government seems to interpret their fiduciary role here in a very strange way. I am surprised YKDFN hasn’t thrown up their hands and told the federal government they will see them in court.
If YKDFN does decide to go to legal action to halt this erosion of their land base, will this government voice its support for their assertion of rights? Mahsi.
It’s up to the YKDFN to use whatever avenues that are available to them. If that includes court action, then that would be a decision they would have to make.
We as a government and as a department will use the avenues that are available to us. We have tried to work very close with the YKDFN in identifying some of their traditional areas out there too. They have been very receptive to working with us. They were just made aware recently, I think, of the federal leases that were being let on Crown land in their territory.
It was a difficult question for me to answer. I’m not going to try. They use whatever avenues are available to them. We use the avenues that are available to us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
