Robert C. McLeod

MACA officials have been meeting with Lutselk’e staff and council to try to see if they would be willing to form an interim corporation. Mr. Speaker, we’re not asking them to change status or anything along those lines. That would be a decision that they would have to make. We are asking them for the benefit of flowing money into their community, that the GNWT is holding for them. We are asking them to form an interim corporation so that they would be able to start using the money. We continue to have discussions with them. If it comes to where it needs to be a meeting between political...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We, as GNWT, recognize all communities’ rights to self-government, Mr. Speaker. Because of the Indian Act not allowing band communities to own real property, we have been working with band communities to form interim corporations so we can flow the capital and gas tax money to them. We view the interim corporations as a way to build capacity for their eventual transition into self-government. There’s nothing about the interim corporation model that would interfere with or go against the band communities’ self-government goals and objectives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do know that in the coming months we’re going to finalize our analysis to see about bringing an LP forward. I will follow up and see if we have enough in there with enough meat on it to bring an LP forward as soon as the May session.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can inform the Member that there has been work going on behind the scenes. We have been reviewing the act with the intent of making revisions to it. I will commit to the Member that I will follow up with officials and see where we’re at with it and how soon we can bring an LP forward for consideration.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, I would.

We have consulted with interested stakeholders and that includes the tax-based community governments, the relevant GNWT departments, the NWT Seniors’ Society, and the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, and the Local Government Administrators of the NWT. They have been consulted and have had some input into the process that’s gone on so far.

I’m not quite familiar enough with the work that’s being done, but I will follow up on it. These are actually issues we’ve been hearing about from folks across the NWT. I will commit to the Member that I will follow up on it. This is part of the work that’s being undertaken right now. As I get more information, I will share that with the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have with me today, to my right, Mr. Mike Aumond, deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. To my far left is Mr. Mark Aitken, director of legislation, and to my immediate left is Ms. Bev Chamberlin, director of lands administration with Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Bill 5 has been brought forward as a result of a recommendation from the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, in May of 2009, to strengthen security requirements for commercial or industrial leases of Commissioner’s land.

The goal is to require enough security to cover the costs of any remediation required to return the land to a condition that is satisfactory to the Minister or a person authorized in the regulations.

The bill contains clauses making performance security a condition of commercial and industrial leases, it sets out the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Involving the youth in the hand games tournament would be something that I think we would encourage the communities to do and a lot of the elders. There are many programs out there that if the funding meets the criteria, then we’d be able to assist them. Thank you.