Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will continue my questioning of the Minister of Lands. He refuses to create a process guide for transferring land in fee simple for Aboriginal titled Indigenous governments because presently he cannot. We have a land lease only policy in the Northwest Territories. I believe it is a Cabinet policy. My question for the Minister of Lands is: is he willing to get rid of the lease only policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Lands is undertaking a broad review of the effectiveness of the Land Lease only policy in collaboration with EIA. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate that there is a review and work is being done. Will part of this review consult existing lease holders and see whether they can transfer their land to fee simple? I believe a great example is: I think we have six agricultural leases in the Northwest Territories. That's about six famers who would be better off getting mortgages, getting loans, and running their farms if they had their land. Will such work conduct a review of leases we can convert to title?
As I said before, we need to consult with EIA and with our Indigenous governments moving forward.
That's not quite the answer that I'm looking for. That would be an answer that we are going to get rid of the lease-to-own policy and replace it with something that allows fee simple title. In this same vein, presently, about half of Akaitcho territory, half of the southern Northwest Territories, is withdrawn. Does the Department of Lands have any role or plan to decrease the amount of land that is presently withdrawn in interim land withdrawals?
The quick answer is no, but the Member should ask the Minister responsible for EIA that type of question.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the problem I'm trying to get to. Right now, I am not prepared to support putting a multi-billion-dollar road through Akaitcho territory when half of it is withdrawn, the other half will likely go to Akaitcho, and we have no guarantee what their mineral staking regime will look like. We have not provided investors certainty in this area, and I don't believe it's just EIA. I think it's EIA, ITI, MACA, and Lands, and this huge gap in land administration in the Northwest Territories. My question is: will the Minister of Lands work with EIA to come up with a comprehensive strategy on what we are going to do with land outside of the formal land claim process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Microphone turned off] ...the Member, but to make him feel better: yes, we will work with the Minister of EIA. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
