Debates of June 1, 2023 (day 159)

Date
June
1
2023
Session
19th Assembly, 2nd Session
Day
159
Members Present
Hon. Diane Archie, Hon. Frederick Blake Jr., Mr. Bonnetrouge, Hon. Paulie Chinna, Ms. Cleveland, Hon. Caroline Cochrane, Mr. Edjericon, Hon. Julie Green, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Martselos, Ms. Nokleby, Mr. O’Reilly, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Rocky Simpson, Ms. Semmler, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Ms. Weyallon Armstong
Topics
Statements

Member’s Statement 1564-19(2): Rights-Based Land Leases

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on March 28 of this year, I made a motion on Territorial Land Lease Only Policy in relation to Indigenous people having cabins for the rightsbased purposes and how they should be exempt from lease payments for those rightsbased cabins and camps, especially when the ones that have land claims.

Mr. Speaker, I know the GNWT has 120 days to respond to this motion, and I may not get a response this week but, Mr. Speaker, we still have Indigenous people who have leases and I would like to remind again, the government, that they raised these leases over 600 percent in the last government and is still charging those who would consider themselves as rightsbased cabins.

But, Mr. Speaker, time and time again the Minister has said that they are working with Indigenous governments but when I speak with some of the Indigenous governments, they say they've been waiting on GNWT. So, Mr. Speaker, I have no idea when we'll figure this out and what they'll be doing for the NWT rightsbased cabin owners. So I would like to find out what the process is for an Indigenous cabin owner who may have signed a lease but has been told by their own Indigenous organization that they don't need a lease.

You know, Mr. Speaker, I'm frustrated. My constituents are frustrated, and they really need to know what's going on and I feel for them, especially the ones that have been sent to collections because of our financial process and the way things work within our financial you know, land leases go into a system and if they're not paid, then they go to collections, you know, and so. Mr. Speaker, I will be directing my questions to the Minister of Finance to see what processes can be done for the Indigenous cabin owners in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.