Louis Sebert

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our government recognized the importance of moving toward a stable and reliable recreational land use regime when we committed in our mandate to completing the Recreational Leasing Management Framework and a plan for the Yellowknife periphery area. The first part of our commitment, to develop the framework, is now complete. The Recreational Leasing Management Framework was tabled in March, and on June 1st, I outlined the work needed to create a plan for recreational leasing in the areas around Yellowknife. The Department of Lands is now reviewing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have that figure but will be seeking it and will provide it to the House if requested. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I understand from our inspector in California that things are moving ahead, so some final inspections are being done on the products and I hope to be able to provide us with some good information in the next few weeks that the generators have arrived. I can’t provide that information yet, but final inspections are being done, so I’m much more optimistic than I have been in the last few weeks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The simplest answer is that I am not sure. We are still optimistic that we will be receiving at least some of the generators. If we do not, clearly there will be costs or losses incurred. I do not think we are very likely to succeed if we have to litigate this in California, but we would have to take advice from our legal counsel in that state. I have not really thought through the possibilities. Either directly or indirectly, I suppose, the government and people of the Northwest Territories would have to absorb this one way or another. Thank you.

Yes, research has been done on the history of this type of legislation in other jurisdictions, I think primarily those in the United States. We are also looking at the models that have been proposed in other Canadian jurisdictions. I know that Ontario has come forth with a model, as has the Province of New Brunswick.

As this House will know, there have been a series of public meetings, there have been eight through the Northwest Territories, so at this point, the information obtained at those meetings is being collected, along with the information we received online. I understand more than 1,100 responses. I hope to have a "what we heard" document soon and we will, of course, provide that to Members as soon as I have received it. Thank you.

Yes, of course, Mr. Speaker, and in fact, in January of this year I appeared before committee to discuss this very issue and correspondence was exchanged with respect to the very issue raised by the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Equity leases were leases that were entered into between the Government of Northwest Territories and individual residents on Commissioner's land. Essentially the lease set out a program of payment which enabled the lessees, the individuals, to make up-front larger payments of the lease amount and then a nominal amount through the term of the lease. I must say that there are many interpretations as to what rights that gave the lessor and lessees. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we want the NWT residents to thrive in a strong and healthy society, and there is no place in strong and healthy homes for family violence. In response to this goal, our government made a mandate commitment to strengthen initiatives and partnerships to prevent and respond to family violence. By working together we have made real progress in creating and supporting the programs that will help us achieve healthier communities and families.

The Department of Justice, along with the Departments of Health and Social Services, and Status of Women, all have...

Yes, of course, the Power Corporation is doing that. As I say, there is always the possibility of litigation for breach of contract, but I am not terribly optimistic as to how that would result. I will speak again to management at the Power Corporation and could perhaps, after that, privately address this issue more fully with the Member opposite.