We have not explored this kind of legislation in the Northwest Territories. It will require further research and consideration as it will have far-reaching implications. However, we are open to having further discussions on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, today is the one-year anniversary of the tornado that hit the community of Fort Smith. It was a devastating event for a family in Fort Smith, and I just want to ask the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation when the file is going to be concluded for this family in the community of Fort Smith. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Member, for your comments. This is an ongoing file that we have been dealing with. It's very unique. I want to provide information to the Member. I would like to meet with the Member. We do not have disaster funding within our department, but I am willing to look at flexibilities for the service for the client. I would look at this as ongoing, but I would like to resolve this, hopefully, by September. I would like to put that date out there.
I have been going back and forth with the department, and I think that it has happened since I got elected in October, and I think that bureaucracy is slow. We have a member that had a very awful disaster in Fort Smith with the tornado. It is a big concern for myself and for the family involved in that community. A conclusion to this file is really important.
Thank you. I didn't really hear a question, but I'll let the Minister respond. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to express that the Housing Corporation did come out, and we did provide assistance to the individual. I'm looking at what further that we can offer for the disaster and for the unit that was damaged. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 45-19(2): Tlicho All-Season Access Road Contract"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 85-19(2): Tlicho All-Season Road"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 187-19(2): National Trade Corridor for Frank Channel Bridge." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Tabling of documents. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table two documents, both addressed to the Ministers of Industry, Tourism and Investment and Education, Culture and Employment. The first letter dated June 1, 2020, is from the community government of Behchoko regarding cell phone connectivity between Yellowknife and the Behchoko injunction. The second letter dated June 2, 2020, is from the community government of Whati regarding expansion of cell phone services along Highway No. 3 corridor. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, June 5, 2020, I will move the following motion: Now therefore, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the Legislative Assembly recommend the reappointment of the following individuals to the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission:
Ms. Marion Berls of the Town of Fort Smith, for a term of four year; and
Mr. Charles Dent of the City of Yellowknife, for a term of four years;
And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of these appointments to the Commissioner.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Mr. Norn.
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021 and specifically the departments of Justice; Environment and Natural Resources; Industry, Tourism and Investment; Infrastructure; Lands; Municipal and Community Affairs; and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation. Marsi cho, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Norn. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess and resume with the first item.
---SHORT RECESS
I will call committee back to order. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021, and will be resuming with the Department of Justice. The Minister of Justice has previously given opening remarks. Does the Minister wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, Madam Chair, I do.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses?
Madam Chair, on my right is Charlene Doolittle, deputy minister of Justice, and on my left is Mandi Bolstad, director of Finance.
All right, committee. We have deferred the departmental summary, and we will resume review of the estimates by activity summary. We will begin where we left off, starting on page 281 with information items up to 284, Justice, services to government, operations expenditure summary. I think we went through all the questions the last time, so we just need to call the page for this one, and then we can move on to the services to the public. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Justice, services to government, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $12,961,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now turn to page 285, services to the public, with information items up to 287. Questions? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Right now, if I want to look up corporate registries document, it would cost me $4. Can the Minister tell me how much in revenue the corporate registries' online system makes us each year?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry, if I could just clarify, it's the total revenue per year. Is that correct?
Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have the breakdown here, but I suspect Ms. Bolstad likely does.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Bolstad.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The revenue under the land title and legal registries fees is just about $5.6 million total, so that's land titles and our corporate registries fees. I don't have the exact breakdown between the two, though. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I have no issues, obviously, with land titles fees. Obviously, that is a fee, and I hope that office continues to charge them. My issue is specifically corporate registries, and very specifically the corporate registries' online system. I'll get to the point. It costs $4 to look up any corporate entity in the Northwest Territories. Most jurisdictions have waived this fee as an effort to transparency to see corporate records. These are public documents. It's a principle of good open data and open government to not put things behind a pay wall. Would a number of under $100,000 make sense for the amount of money we are actually charging to keep our corporate records behind a pay wall? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
While again, Madam Chair, we don't have the specific breakdown, I will certainly get it. I think really what I am being asked is whether or not we are going to look at whether we need to charge the $4 fee. That is not something that I have had a chance to speak to the department about, but I can certainly commit to having a proper conversation with the department and getting back to the Member or to this House about that. Thanks.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That is exactly what I was looking at. I just think it would be one of these helpful transparency things if corporations' records were not behind a pay wall and I could go in and I could search any corporate entity and track their legal history, as I can do with most jurisdictions. Similarly with the land titles office, at one point, we were going to close down the land titles office during this COVID-19, essentially not allowing anyone to transfer real property. Can the Minister commit to bringing land titles online so that they can conduct their business even during a pandemic? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
