Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So I thought the Minister was actually going to agree to the first part of my question there as well. So maybe he can just tell us a little bit more about why we have to close the Legal Aid clinic in the Beaufort Delta and how that contributes towards improving access to justice? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I feel much more confident now about this, and I have known Mr. Hagen for years. I used to work at the Dene-Metis Negotiations Secretariat when I first came up here in 1985. The agreement that came out of that was to set up an integrated resource management system, the MVRMA is the implementation part of that, and I agree fully that that's what we should be pursuing. So I'm much more confident now than I was before I arrived in the Chamber today. Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all I've got on this section. Thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I sort of expected to hear that. I guess, even before I became an MLA, this was a concern that I raised with devolution, that there needed to be a time, you know, maybe after five years or even three years or something, to start to look at the implementation of devolution and how it has actually worked out.

This Department of Lands is a creature of devolution, quite frankly. A piece was taken from MACA and a few other little bits thrown together, but I think we need to start to think about evaluating how devolution has actually gone. Certainly, it was a concern that I...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I believe this is the section where we would find the closure of the Beaufort Delta Legal Aid Clinic. Is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. In general comments and I think even in the Minister's opening remarks he talked about how there is some sort of land use planning process that is being developed for the Crown lands in the Wekweeti Management Area, and he talks about a terms of reference being developed. Can he, number one, answer whether this land use plan is going to be legally binding? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will start with some general remarks, if I can, following on my colleague from Yellowknife North. This department actually is going to take some of the biggest cuts in this budget of any of the government agencies, over $2 million out of its operating budget; six positions are going to be lost; the operating budget is going to be cut by 7.4 per cent.

There are a number of issues with some of these cuts, as well, but we still do not have a plan and a schedule to bring together the lands that are administered by this department under the Commissioner's Lands Act and the...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am glad to hear that there has been a facetoface meeting. Can the Minister make a commitment to share that kind of information with the standing committee so that we know what is going on? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Glad to hear that. I really look forward to getting that lease back to them and reducing our exposure. Let's talk a little bit about Prairie Creek now. This surface lease is in over-hold tenancy. When are we going to put in place full financial security for the assets that are on the ground right now? As any other operator has to have up-front financial security, when are we going to do that for Prairie Creek so that we are not exposed? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks again to the Minister for that response. Once we promote consumer protection a little bit better, maybe there is going to be a need for better collaboration there too. I am just wondering if the Minister can tell me when the last comprehensive review of the consumer protection act was undertaken?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am not sure I have a lot of confidence, but maybe I can ask, then: has this been communicated to and how is it going with the Law Society and the Law Foundation? Are they involved in these discussions? Do they know about this resource centre? Are they being asked to contribute? What is going on? Thanks, Mr. Chair.