Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I've raised the issue of recreational land leasing in this House before. It seems like we don't have a clear path forward. What has the Minister been able to accomplish on his end since I've raised this leasing issue in the North Slave? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of ECC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. Since I last spoke of this item in the House, Mr. Speaker, I've had the pleasure of meeting with several Indigenous governments to discuss the topic. Primarily, in early March, I met with the Chief Sanguez and Chief Betsina and my staff and their staff at the YKDFN to discuss this exact topic. And at the end of that meeting, both sides have committed to ensure that our officials are going to work together and discuss the issues as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Well, that's good. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's good, it's good to work with the First Nations. It's essential to work with the First Nations. But the Akaitcho process has obviously never been settled, so why have we been issuing these leases in the past? There are cabins out there. There are homes out there. Why have we made these decisions in the past, Mr. Speaker?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here today, I think I'm more than comfortable speaking to decisions that I've made but I'd rather not try and stand here and explain the decisions of my predecessors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I can respect that because I could have a lot to say about decisions of his predecessors, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister have an answer for my constituents any time -- will my constituents have an answer, yes or no, any time soon? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thank you to the Member for the question. This is truly not a yes or no question. There are a lot of factors at play and certainly one of the most important ones -- and this was something that I brought up with the discussions with all of the Indigenous leaders that I've met with to date and, you know, it's the respect for the consultation process and to ensure that this is a collaborative effort going forward and that both parties have the ability to ensure that their perspective and point of view is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister issue a moratorium on all future land leasing until he can get this problem solved? Because it's unfair to raise expectations in the hopes of my constituents and any other Northerner looking for a recreational land lease. Let's just call it quits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, this is not a one-party decision. This is a collaborative process involving Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations, and I will not stand in the House today and make a unilateral decision on that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
