Louis Sebert

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. As has been mentioned in some of the comments that we have already heard, this was the bringing together of two pieces of legislation. Originally, the original plan Members will recall was to amend both acts, so, after hearing from respondents, we considered merging the two acts, so really this is a combination and an improvement of the two acts. I am also informed that IGCS specifically asked for minimal engagement on the bill, including no technical working group. The new act did not create any new authorities and dealt only with administrative and technical...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am here to present Bill 46, Public Land Act. The purpose of the bill to is establish the rules for creating and transferring interest in public land from one party to another.

Bill 46 seeks to harmonize the two existing public land administration regimes under the Northwest Territories Lands Act and the Commissioner's Land Act. This bill addresses the technical and administrative inconsistencies between the acts and consolidates them into a single legislative foundation. Public land administration cuts across all sectors and all regions. This harmonization allows us to...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. This motion would require things such as land withdrawal orders to be pre-published, and we have some concerns about that, that it could lead to people obtaining interests in areas before they are off limits. For example, rumours of land withdrawals have led to mining staking rushes and the creation of interest that withdrawals are intended to prevent. Now, the motion mentions the Gazette, but that is an antiquated form of public notification. We do have the Gazette. I was over around lunch looking in the library. It does actually exist there. I do not know how many...

We will be communicating with the public to provide them with this information. I think a commitment was made to committee, also. Thank you.

Subject, of course, to priorities of the next Assembly, we expect it to be 12 to 24 months. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will start off perhaps, Mr. Chair. Well, the Member is quite correct. It was under section, I think, 3.1 of the Commissioner's Land Act, but that dealt with conditions of leases of land for commercial and industrial use. To some degree, of course, we have broadened the geographic ambit of it. Again, we do realize that there have been problems in the past. We would be foolish to say there have haven't been. It is just not mines that this would cover. We tend to think of them because those are the most spectacular and difficult examples in the past. Mines are often used to justify matters of...

Yes. I thank the Member for the question. The principles by which we administer a resource may evolve over time, and, in our view, it's best to clarify to the public in policies and other tools. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I suppose that we could do some preliminary high-level work. I just don't want to set up unreasonable expectations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't know whether I am in a position to speculate on that possibility. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left is Willard Hagen, deputy minister of Lands; to my right, Melissa Bard, manager, legislation, Lands; and, to her right, Christina Brownlee, legislative counsel, Justice. Thank you, Mr. Chair.