Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have a few more questions to the Minister of MACA. I know in response to some questions he had earlier when I asked whether it was a sale or a lease, and he had mentioned that it is a lease now but it initially was a sale. I’d like to ask the Minister, if it was initially a sale, how the application proceeded so far along without a survey of the land being conducted.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The sale wasn’t final until a survey was going to be done. So a survey had to be done and then the sale would have been final.
Has a survey been done of the 36,000 acres that are being disposed of by the department?
No, the survey has not been done. It is the intent of the Norman Wells Land Corporation within the next three years to have a legal survey of the land done and then at that time they will purchase the property.
I think, you know, obviously we need to learn how this happened and why it happened, because I think it’s important for communities around the Northwest Territories to understand how this works. In looking through the legislation and policies, there’s not even a requirement for the department to advise Cabinet of a decision to dispose of land, let alone Regular Members. I think that’s a hole in our policies and legislation that needs to be shored up. Even the deputy minister’s authority, I think we need to be taking a look at this. They have the authority on the size of parcels, pricing of the parcel. I’d like to ask the Minister how the price was arrived at on the lease for the 36,000 acres.
I sign off Commissioner’s lands transactions three or four times a week. We have properties all across the Northwest Territories where people are applying for Commissioner’s property. Now, is it the Member’s wish that I inform the Members, even though it’s not their particular riding, of all the transactions that take place or is there a size limit to it? If that’s his wish, then it’s something we can do. The price that was arrived at in this was in accordance with the land pricing policy of the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It wouldn’t be my belief that the Minister should be informing us on every transaction, but I think we’re moving into a new area, a new realm of how we do business and again it’s going to be a bigger issue post-devolution.
The majority of issues the Minister would sign off on are quarries, residential lots, things of that nature. When we’re talking about attractive land, three parcels of land totalling 36,000 acres, I think it’s a different ballgame. I think going forward we need to ensure that we have the legislation and policies in place that are going to let communities know what the rules of engagement are when it comes to disposal of Commissioner’s land. I’d just like to ask the Minister if we could review how we deal with large tracts of land and transactions in that regard.
I will commit to the Member that we will have a look at how land is disposed of. Again I just want to assure the Member and Members of this House that this land was all disposed of in accordance with and all the proper processes were followed. They had expressed an interest, they got a hold of us, we worked with them and a deal was worked out. Though some people may not like the decision, that’s just the way this whole thing played out and the Norman Wells Land Corporation has some development plans for the future to benefit their people and if there’s an opportunity there for us to help them, then we will.
