Thank you. I guess I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and recognize my former boss. He was my Minister when I worked for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. And his great leadership for the stuff that we're able to do during that time working from them. And as an advisor and I say somebody that would be able to give you sound advice throughout the time of my first four years as a Member, and his wife for putting up with him being gone for so long, Judy; thank you for much for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the ministerial mandate and commitments to review the Government of the Northwest Territories Land LeaseOnly Policy.

Mr. Speaker, the Land LeaseOnly Policy was initially established in 1987 to ensure ongoing Aboriginal rights agreement negotiations were not impacted through the sale of land. Since then, our territory has changed in many ways. Our population and economy have grown, our communities are more developed, and the GNWT is responsible for most of the land and resources. While this progress is welcome, this growth...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we been working with the Town of Hay River and K'atlodeeche First Nation on things moving forward. In regards to mitigation, as long as there's a plan in place, then we're able to use our disaster assistance policy if the situation happens. The old adage is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. So we are working on that. The timeline, we're working with the town and the reserve, and it's with them. We have to be able to work with them to come up with a timeline. That's on their speed. We're not going to rush and do it wrong. As the Member...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I live down the street from the Member so I guess I've been there for 32 years too. So I appreciate that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I can honestly say we've had this conversation with the Member, and I greatly appreciate him asking this question in the House.

All available public land can be viewed on Atlas, the department website management system. If that's a problem, they can go into the department and talk to the staff there and check the website itself and we are more than willing to help there. Commercial operations interested in public lands may work with land administration to determine the land availability as well. An application may submit lease applications for any...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is not taking enforcement actions on potential rightsbased cabins at this time. The department is working with Indigenous governments on an approach to manage rightsbased cabins on public land. The department won't be defining Aboriginal rights through this process.

Mr. Speaker, it's about also selfidentifying. The individuals need to selfidentify. There was a process that's explained on the post, please come into the office and selfidentify. If they don't do that, then we do not know if it's a rightsbased cabin. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, second by the Honourable Member from Yellowknife South, that Bill 67, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act, be read for the third time. And, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, second by the Honourable Member from Yellowknife South, that Bill 78, Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act, be read for the second time.

This bill repeals and replaces the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act, SNWT 2003, c.29 to

Remove, amend and add certain definitions;

Broaden the scope of matters on which an advisory committee may provide advice and assistance;

Allow regulations to be made respecting waste reduction and resource recovery, including regulations.

Prescribing persons as producers of a designated material or setting out a method for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, government is committed to evidencebased decisions, and as I've said previously, the project assessment policy will continue to support the representation of the GNWT's evidence and expert's opinions. Currently the Department of Lands and, on April 1st, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, is working to define how the GNWT can be more transparent in environmental assessments, including decisionmaking of the GNWT's project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the project assessment policy's an internal policy that defines how the GNWT works internally amongst departments for project assessments. So at such time, we will not be or planning to have public engagement on this policy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.