Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister of MACA getting back to my Member’s statement where I talked about the 36,000 acre land deal in Norman Wells. I had questions a few weeks back where the Minister suggested that it was a sale, and in media reports the suggestion was a sale but just yesterday in the House during Committee of the Whole, I believe the deputy minister referred to it as a lease, in response to my colleague Ms. Bisaro’s questions. The Minister, in a statement to Ms. Bisaro, called it a purchase and then called it a lease. I would like to just get it out there. Is the 36,000 acre deal a lease or a sale to the Norman Wells Land Corporation? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They had originally intended to purchase the property but it worked out in the end where it was decided that it was a lease, so it is a lease. Thank you.
That leads to a little bit more confusion, because when I asked the Minister a few weeks back what the selling price was, it was $1.6 million. Would the Minister be able to divulge the financial obligations of the Norman Wells Land Corporation as it relates to that lease? Is it $1.6 million for a 30-year lease, or what are the financial parameters surrounding that lease? Thank you.
The intent is to lease the property for the next three years; to purchase it after three years. Thank you,
Again, there are a lot of questions that I could ask surrounding this. The whole process has left a lot to be desired when it comes to consultation and transparency and if you look to the legislation and the policy, it’s really short on guidance to the department on what it can and can’t do in terms of consultation. I’d like to ask the Minister why MACA has refused to let the Town of Norman Wells have a look at that lease. Thank you.
Thank you. Obviously there are a lot of questions we could ask about any issue debated in this house. This was one issue where all the proper processes were followed in accordance with disposal of Commissioner’s land. I’m not sure what the Member is talking about, the Town wanting to see the lease. I’d have to follow up on that and see if there’s been a request for the Town to view the lease. I know the lease was just signed recently. So I’ll follow up with that and see if there was ever a request to have a look at the lease. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it’s very important as we move toward a post-devolution setup here in the Northwest Territories, that we have rules and policies in place so that all communities know exactly what the rules of engagement are when it comes to disposal of Commissioner’s land in and around communities.
I’d like to ask the Minister if he could entertain looking at special consultation requirements and principles that would apply to transfers of community block transfer lands where the transfer is to be made to a third party and not a community government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. We have followed all the proper policies, all the proper processes in this case and we continue to do so. People may not agree with them, they might not like the decision that was made at the end and they continue to question the decision, but as far as following all the proper processes, that has been done. We followed them, the Norman Wells Land Corporation has followed them. There still is a lot of land that is available in the community, Commissioner’s land that’s available to the Town within their municipal boundaries and the Norman Wells Land Corporation want to acquire this land for a future economic base for their membership. How can we deny them that? We’re continuing to work with them to see that they have due processes that are followed and I’ll stand here, Mr. Speaker, and continue to defend the fact that all processes were followed. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
