Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Lands. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Lands if the terms "tax-based" and "non-tax-based" communities are still being used in the department? I know it is a new department. It may have been used by MACA previously, but I would like to know if the Minister of Lands can tell me if that term is still used in the Lands department. Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware as to whether the difference between tax- and non-tax-based communities is used in the Lands department. Perhaps the question would be more properly addressed to MACA, but I will check on that. Thank you.
Prior to devolution, April 2014, the federal government had responsibility for the federal lands, or Crown lands, it was referred to as, in which harvesters were on the land with cabins harvesting whatever, whether it be furs or they were hunting or berry-picking or fishing, whatever the people using the cabins were doing. The federal government was not taxing them. I would like to know why the decision was made to start taxing cabins.
I am not aware of the situation when the federal government was in control of those lands referred to by the Member opposite, and I am not certain when a decision was made, if, in fact, there was a change, to tax those lands by the territorial government. I could consult with my confreres in Finance and MACA to determine that, but I wasn't aware of the tax situation prior to devolution.
I would like to ask the Minister of Lands if it would be possible to take all of the tax bills and return them back to the Department of Lands so that department can deal with the individuals. What is happening now, Mr. Speaker, is that it is de-linked because Finance has now taken responsibility for it.
Finance doesn't know the reason why the tax is there, how it built up, nothing at all. All they know is that there is a bill and they are going out to collect it. I would like to know if the Minister of Lands can talk to the Minister of Finance and transfer that responsibility back to Lands so that it can be dealt with from the department, with all of the clients who are now stuck with those huge tax bills that I spoke of in my Member's statement.
I know that there certainly are large tax bills. I became very aware of that on a personal basis when I was out in Behchoko, and many people came to me with large bills that they had received from MACA. I am not certain if I want to bring the responsibility for collecting those back from Finance to Lands, but I will discuss with the Ministers of MACA and Lands these issues.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was more or less asking that the responsibility be brought back to Lands for the purpose of negotiations.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister if there was any discussion at all during negotiations about the tax bills, if there is any specific table that he is involved with or his department is involved with on the taxes that are accumulated in the communities by the residents of the non-tax-based communities. Thank you.
Certainly, the issue of taxation of cabins has come up in our discussions with Aboriginal groups, in particular the Metis. I can't speak to how that issue has been dealt with at negotiating tables, because I am not directly involved at that level. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
