Mr. Speaker, the starting point in any conversation about our municipal powers is that they are presently a mess. Twenty-four of our communities either fall under the Cities, Towns and Villages Act, the Hamlets Act, the Charter Communities Act, or the Tlicho Government act. The remaining nine communities are designated authorities and fall under the Indian Act. I am surprised the NWTAC can find agreement on anything. As such, whenever a problem falls that only applies to one of those specific pieces of legislation, there is no support for the other communities. Six of our communities administer their own taxes; 18, MACA does it; and a remaining nine pay no tax at all. My main concern is getting the Department of MACA to bring forward some legislation that sorts out these various pieces and the powers. My first question is: will the department bring forward the Cities, Towns and Villages Act and some of the other corresponding legislation during the life of this Assembly?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, first of all, want to comment on the history of the Northwest Territories, and the way that we operate is in a very unique, dynamic way of administrating throughout the territory. We do have designated communities. We do have communities that are acquiring self-government. We do have settled land claim areas, as well, and we have such a strong, rich history here in the territory. Looking at the Cities, Towns and Villages Act and when it was established to create the municipalities of the Northwest Territories, we have kind of evolved with the legislation but also knowing that the Indigenous groups have come forward to create their own set of governing aspects.
With that, this is a very unique approach that does not exist in the northern part of the territory and the northern part of Canada. We don't have a charter that is currently established, but the City of Yellowknife has not designated this as a priority. We are looking at the taxation, and we are looking at the Fire Prevention Act right now. The conversation continues, but just to answer the Member's question: no, this will not be brought forward in the lifetime of this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the complexity here. My concern is I want to find some work to progress the work on the Cities, Towns and Villages Act and surrounding it. I note the department started work on the Fire Prevention Act back in 2008, and hopefully, we see that in the life of this Assembly. I recognize that there were years of work to actually get this done, and it gets to the heart of the NWT: are we going to have public governments in the future, or are we going to have more private governments? Presently, we have legislated that there are public governments across the Northwest Territories, and I would like to see that debate happen. To do that, I need the department to begin some of the work on these various pieces of legislation. Is the department ready to begin that work, and maybe the next Assembly can see some legislation?
With the legislation brought forward and with the support of NWTAC and the City of Yellowknife, we are concentrating on the property taxation, as I've stated, and also the fire prevention. They have listed these as two priorities. With that, I am confident that my department will bring those two forward and we will see those changes. Also, looking at the involvement of the Northwest Territories, as well, and looking at the municipal governments, I honestly want to say that conversations do happen with the Indigenous governments, as well. Whether we're going to see self-government during the lifetime of this Assembly, whether we're going to see agreements going forward, it really changes the direction of Municipal and Community Affairs and how we are going to be working with the smaller communities.
One of the reasons the City of Yellowknife wants to see a city charter, and I want to see it, is it's a fiscal arrangement. The City of Yellowknife is the only jurisdiction where a percentage of their taxes have to fund the education system. It's the only city that has a property tax base that could actually fund municipal services. There's a reason we have tax-paying communities and non-tax-paying communities. Whenever the City of Yellowknife asks for a change to how they can administer taxes, they are told no because the conversation is only relevant to the City of Yellowknife. In part of the Property Assessment and Taxation Act conversation, which we will see, is it possible to have a separate fiscal arrangement and some different tax powers for the City of Yellowknife?
To have a submission brought forward that is going to separate, and looking at the Indigenous groups within the City of Yellowknife, as well, this is a really sensitive topic, and I would have to bring this back to my department in order to make sure that we are productively moving along. Also clarifying, is this a priority for the City of Yellowknife and the Indigenous groups within the city, as well? Then it would change the approach of MACA and our involvement, as well, to better support what are the priorities for the city.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A head's up: during the Property Assessment and Taxation Act, I am going to be requesting the ability for municipalities to implement vacancy taxes, to have land value taxes, to have different tax tools that the department won't let them. Can I get the Minister to commit that they can go away and educate themselves on what city charters and these fiscal arrangements look like in other jurisdictions, in preparation for further questions? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I hear the Member's passion, as well. This is not the first time he has brought this up with the charter for the City of Yellowknife and reflecting and elaborating on the taxation, as well. I want to really emphasize that this is a very sensitive issue, and it involves more parties than just the City of Yellowknife. I will provide the Member with a current update and the current status of the ongoing conversation with the Department of MACA and the City of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
