Louis Sebert

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Commissioner's land is primarily land that is located in and around communities. It is managed through policy and regulation under the Commissioner's Land Act. Territorial land is most often the land that is in the more remote regions of the Northwest Territories. In some cases, there are some territorial lands located within communities. However, that is the exception. These lands are regulated by the Northwest Territories Lands Act and regulations.

What is most important and should be paramount in our minds is resolving this situation of longstanding equity leases, which has been a thorn in the side of the residents and the Minister for some time. We sought to resolve it in the most efficient way possible. We have agreed, however, that to speed things up, there will be more employees. At least, I hope that will be the result of having more employees, but the real point of this is to resolve the matter, and that is what we are proposing to do. I think the proposal as we have changed it, from three to five and the placement of those...

This proposal for these five positions was thought out over a period of time, and, as I say, I do not think it's necessary that the employees, these five employees, be in the same communities as the leases are located. It's more important that they have surrounding them the correct support, both from current employees and perhaps retired employees, to finally resolve this matter of these long-standing equity leases.

I don't know whether we would be able to identify candidates and resources by May 24th. That is the issue, so I cannot make that commitment. Thank you.

As I mentioned earlier, there are trained people in Fort Smith. Plus, those who are currently working and those who are retired can assist in training the five candidates for these positions. As proposed, we are going to have two positions remaining in Fort Smith. Two of the positions will be in Fort Smith. One will be in Inuvik, one in Yellowknife, and one in either Fort Simpson or Fort Providence. Now, there are many considerations that will have to go into the placement of those positions, whether in Fort Simpson or Fort Providence; the availability of candidates, office space, and support.

Yes, I will undertake to read the report, and certainly I would be prepared to answer questions in the future about the report, or perhaps make a statement with respect to it.

I do want to say something about the legal aid system. I was a long time working in that system and so worked often with lawyers from other jurisdictions. They found it to be the gold standard generally of legal aid systems. We had quite a bit of coverage, so there were not people who were unrepresented in court. I think it's very easy to defend the legal aid system itself. I will look at the report and certainly be happy...

The Victims Service Program is a fundamental component of how we provide support for victims in the Northwest Territories. There are 11 community-based victim services in eight different communities. They service those communities, and they also travel often with the courts to other communities to assist with victims, not necessarily with the courts, so I think they sometimes travel with the courts, but they do act in all the communities, including not only the larger ones. So there is victim assistance coverage for the whole of the Northwest Territories. Admittedly, there are victim...

Yes. After the initial discussions, Mr. Chair, with respect to this matter, we went from three to five positions, as there was an interest to resolve this matter faster. We will have to make the allocation of positions dependent, of course, on office space and some other considerations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Unfortunately, I can't remember which document I was referring to; however, I can look into that and get some more information to the Member opposite. Thank you.

Yes, there was a commitment made many years ago to the Cassidy Point Prosperous Lake Lease Holders Association. That has been supported by the previous Minister of Lands in the 17th Legislative Assembly. I'm not certain which department or which person actually made that commitment.