Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I apologize to the Minister of Lands for not giving him a heads-up, but it's just a bit of a continuation of the honourable Member from Nahendeh. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if this 10 per cent policy is a policy that is left over from the equity lease, where leases were paid out in full in 10 years? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Lands.
Mr. Speaker, I am not absolutely sure of whether there was a connection between the assessment, the 10 per cent assessment, that I have spoken of earlier and the equity lease situation, which is quite a different situation. I do know that the land pricing policy was established in 1997, so it hasn't been looked at in some time by Cabinet. Land leasing and equity leases are somewhat different. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The honourable Member for Nahendeh talked about mill rates. In the municipalities where they charge mill rates, you get a service, curbs, water and sewer, piped systems, usually. What type of service does the GNWT charge to -- I can't think of the word that would constitute the 10 per cent being charged for the leases.
One of the advantages to the tenant is certainty of tenure. By granting a lease, of course, a person is given rights, the surface rights to the property, and that is certainly something that is very valuable. The revenue that is collected, however the government collects it, whether it's through regular taxation or through leases, of course would go into general revenue to provide all the services we provide to our citizens.
The Minister speaks of the review on the land leasing policy hasn't occurred, I do believe he said, since 1999. There are some properties where the units have been on there since the 1980s, since the 1970s, and so on. Mainly since the 1970s would probably be the older units in our smaller communities. I would like to ask the Minister if he is prepared to look at what the original deal was, because many of the people who are leasing have indicated that that was their land to start with and they built their home on their own land and now they are paying the government for 10 per cent of the value of that equity that they have accumulated.
The Member opposite has raised a complex issue. I can advise that the Department of Lands, with assistance from Justice, is looking into the whole area of equity leases and our responsibilities under these leases.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.
