Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I do understand that there is a difference between land lease fees and taxation. I guess my concern here is we have the Department of Lands acknowledging that there are rights-based cabins and then continuing to charge those people fees. I really don't think that this is the purview of the Department of Lands. I think this is a matter of Executive and Indigenous Affairs. One of the problems is we have seen land administration continue to be a colonial tool where we enforce these policies without looking at the larger picture, that Indigenous nations are saying, "No, these are rights-based, and we do not have to fall under the control of the Department of Lands." I would like to move on. We will continue this conversation. My question is: is the Minister of Lands willing to review the lease-only policy within municipal boundaries?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.
Thank you. Real simple: yes.
Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that "yes." I guess my next question is: when can we expect to see the public lands act in force? I am very happy that we are finally getting one type of land, public land, in the Northwest Territories, but when can we see those regulations developed and the public land act in force?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Regulations enforcement, well, first of all we have got to get the regulations done. Then we can enforce the public lands act. We have made a commitment to committee that it's going to take us up to three years to do it because we need to do it right. We have a number of challenges out there of the way lands were managed in the past, and so we have made a commitment to have it done in three years. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North, no more questions? Any other questions on the corporate management? Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to, I guess, lands and unsettled areas, like the South Slave for instance and the Deh Cho, ITI developed an agricultural policy or a strategy. I am just wondering. I hear concerns, I guess, from people who want to do agriculture and they don't have access to lands, except for little plots, possibly. Is your department looking at maybe how to resolve that and allow some lands to be made available for agricultural use? Whether it's only one year at a time, people are looking for something to expand that market. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Would that question be more appropriate for the operations section? I am just trying to make sure it falls in the right place. Yes, that will be for the next section. I can put you on for that section. Do you have any for corporate management?
Yes, thank you. Just on the $303,000 and the board: what is the board make-up? Who are the board members, or where do the board members come from, and how long have they be on there? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister.
Thank you. Oh, God, I am going to say these names wrong here, so I am going to turn to the deputy minister here on this. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Haener.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have Mr. Baetz giving me a hard time for ripping the page out of his book. The current board is composed of a chair, who is Louie Azzolini, and then there are six other members, Elizabeth Wright, Edwin Amos, Mike Vaydik, oh, right, that is vacant right now -- I am reading a dated thing because we do have vacancies that we are currently working on filling -- Mike Vaydik, Danny Bayha, Ian McCrae, and Vern Christensen, whose spot is also vacant at this point, so we have a couple of vacancies that we are currently working to fill.
Thank you, Ms. Haener. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Are these directors primarily living in the Northwest Territories or are some from southern Canada? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Lands.
Yes, except for the one who was removed. It is vacated. He was actually living down south, but that position is vacated. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. How long have these directors been in place? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Lands.
I can give you the dates, or would you risk to have the information given to you in writing? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River?
Thank you, Madam Chair. He can give it to my in writing. Just one more item: the $303,000, is that money, those funds, fully spent each year, or are there some that are not used? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It is really detailed information. I apologize. We just have to get that information here. There was a carryover of $44,000 for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess after listening to the Member for Frame Lake's comments and the number of people who have come in front of the board, which sounds like nil, I have a question about having that board in place, as well. The only thing that would, I guess, stop me from saying "get rid of it" is that it's job creation and that is what we are looking for here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a comment.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. I will take that as a comment. Are there any further questions on this section? If not, please turn to page 301. Lands, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $3,612,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Operations, beginning on page 304, with information items on page 306. Member for Hay River South.
No questions, no. Yes, just back to the agricultural opportunities, I guess my concern is that we have an agricultural strategy in place but we have no land available to actually do anything, especially in the South Slave and the Deh Cho area. I am wondering if there is anything that this department can do to make lands available for agricultural use. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Madam Chair. There is a process, and you apply for it through commercial lease of lot. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The other one of the concerns that people had was that, like, I am not quite sure what the cost of the commercial lease would be, but would it equate to what it would be for an agricultural lease in Alberta, say? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Lands.
I don't know the comparison, if it's compared to Alberta, but we do have a process that puts a value to the land for the lease. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
If the Minister could make that information available to me in writing. One of the concerns is that the cost of the lease is disproportionate to what it is in with agricultural leases in Alberta, and the portions of land that they're looking for is smaller as well here in the territories. I'd just ask the Minister if he would take a look at the comparison and come up with a number that is realistic for the use of the land. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Lands.
Quite simply: yes, we're looking into it. One of the concerns that we had, but again, it's through the appraisal process. Yes, we're looking into it. It's part of one of the processes that, when I came on, we discussed this, and we are looking at that as part of our regulations. We'll report. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Madam Chair, and I thank the Minister for the answer, and that's all the questions I have. Thank you.
Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Madam Chair. I think the plan is for the department to amalgamate the Commissioner's lands with the territorial lands. Presently, I believe the Commissioner's lands are administered by the municipalities. The territorial lands would be by the GNWT. I could be wrong on that, but you can correct me. When you do the amalgamation there, I am wondering what the picture is looking like for the municipalities, whether they're going to control all these lands, or is it the territorial government that's going to control all these lands? I'll just start with that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Madam Chair. First, the NWT lands and the Commissioner's lands are managed by the Government of the Northwest Territories, so all we're doing is we're trying to have consistency by amalgamating NWT land and Commissioner's land. We've had some huge differences and some challenges out there, so we're trying to move it forward. We will also be working with the municipal governments where possible. Thank you.
