Mr. Speaker, the concerns regarding the recreational land leases have been a very hot topic in all different venues with Indigenous and municipal governments, including members of many of our communities. My primary concern is for the residents of Fort Smith. My question for the Minister is: how is your department going to undo a major, poor decision of the 18th Assembly that should not have happened without proper consultation?
Thank you, Member. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will have opportunities to revisit the mechanisms used to set the rent and fees, and it will be part of bringing our Public Lands Act into force. We are starting to work on it. It's part of a process. It's not going to be fixed overnight; it's going to take some time. We are in the process and there are mechanisms in there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Minister's response to my office regarding land leases which he sent out on December 9, 2019, is unacceptable. After bringing forward concerns well over 31 times in the 18th Assembly, I want to know why the Minister of Lands is stalling to address these concerns in a positive and proactive manner that will work for all the NWT residents, especially the residents of Fort Smith dealing with this issue.
The department is not stalling. We're trying to work on this. It's critical that one of the main focuses for the Department of Lands during the life of the 19th Assembly is to do the work on regulations needed to bring into force the Public Lands Act. This work needs to be done in advance of further changes to lease pricing.
It is important to note that, although there was an increase to recreational land lease fees, there was a decrease to the lease fees for residential leases where people's homes are in communities of Commissioner's land. This was part of the result of my questions 31 times that the Member talked about, when I was speaking to the Minister of Lands in the past.
I am also concerned about the contents and tone of the multiple letters I've seen from constituents who received letters from the Department of Lands stating that, if the new lease fees were not paid within a specified time, the residents would need to bring the land to its original state. Does the Minister of Lands agree with bureaucrats and civil servants writing these letters to the people we represent as MLAs?
The letters that come from the department are letters that support legal contracts such as lease agreements. They need to be clear. They are not meant to carry a specific tone, but to ensure that there is no misunderstanding of the points that need to be communicated. If a lease fee remains unpaid and there is no intent to continue use of the parcel of land, it is the responsibility of the department to ensure that the land be left in an acceptable condition. This often means a condition that is as close as possible to the original state. I agree with the principle when addressing public lands outside the municipalities.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
The turnaround for inquiries to any Minister by MLAs is five days. Why did it take the Minister and his department 17 days to give me a response, which was the same response given in the 18th Assembly by the former Minister of Lands, which you questioned when you were a Regular MLA?
Just a reminder, please direct your comments through myself as Speaker. Thank you. Minister.
Mr. Speaker, if I recall, we had the opportunity to meet, at which time I arranged a time to discuss your concerns immediately. I believe that we had a productive discussion, and I have followed up on the matters that you raised. I realize that my responses may not be the ones that you would like to hear at this time, but I can assure you that I will continue to work on this matter with my officials. We do have further work that needs to be done to ensure that we have a modern approach to land management in the NWT, including around fees. I have mentioned a big part of this is getting the Public Lands Act into force, though the work has to be done on regulations. I look forward to work with you and the community and other MLAs as we work on this process. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Minister, I am over here, just so you know. It was brought to my attention. Please direct your comments to me. I know everybody is a little nervous today. It is okay to look at the person you are talking to every once in a while. Just a reminder. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
