Louis Sebert

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I can make that commitment. I will keep Members of this house fully appraised as to progress.

As the name would imply, it is dealing with recreational lands. Again, much of the Northwest Territories, there are comprehensive land use plans established by those areas that there are not. These are seen as interim steps.

Yes, I think Members opposite could expect that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I have mentioned earlier, we are looking at the minimum lease changes. Certainly, we have been consulting with Aboriginal and other stakeholders, and I imagine I could provide a list of consultations that have taken place and those that are planned.

The Member opposite has raised a complex issue. I can advise that the Department of Lands, with assistance from Justice, is looking into the whole area of equity leases and our responsibilities under these leases.

Mr. Speaker, I am not absolutely sure of whether there was a connection between the assessment, the 10 per cent assessment, that I have spoken of earlier and the equity lease situation, which is quite a different situation. I do know that the land pricing policy was established in 1997, so it hasn't been looked at in some time by Cabinet. Land leasing and equity leases are somewhat different. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As mentioned in my answer to the previous question, of course the mill rate is the way in which municipalities establish their needs to raise tax revenue in each community, and that tends to be different in each community, depending on their needs. We are, of course, reviewing the whole policy in this area, but I don't think we would be referring to a rate as a "mill rate," which is really specific to municipalities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member's office has correctly stated, the leases are based on 10 per cent of the assessed value, and that is standard across the Northwest Territories, that 10 per cent of assessed value exists from Fort Smith, all the way up the valley to the ocean. Now, that is standard across the Northwest Territories, and that 10 per cent is roughly a standard that would be true, all across Canada. What happens is that the MACA assesses the land based on several factors: location of force is always important; whether the land is developed or surveyed; or whether there is a...

Yes. As mentioned previously, we are attempting to regularize land use planning in the Northwest Territories. Hopefully with agreements with Aboriginal groups. It is a complex issue. In the meantime, as has been mentioned, there are interim arrangements that will take place through management planning for recreational lease and the Yellowknife peripheral area so that there can be some certainty in land leasing prior to comprehensive land claims being settled.

Mr. Speaker, the government is, of course, working to establish effective and durable relationships with the Aboriginal government on land use planning. In those areas where there is no plan that has been established or agreed upon, we are developing under the recreational leasing management framework in the Yellowknife peripheral area plans that will assist us in the interim before land use plans are finalized with Aboriginal groups. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.