Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2014, the Government of the Northwest Territories released its mineral development strategy. It's a document -- this document was a result of broad engagement with industry, Indigenous governments, and other stakeholders and moved the industry forward by creating incentives to keep explorers exploring, evolving its legislation, mapping more geology, including more ways for Indigenous participation in the industry, and creating a strong local workforce. We haven't had an update to this in some time. Can the Minister speak to what the department is doing...

Thank you. So I would suggest that this -- it is a significant amount of money, and I know that the department has undertaken studies in the past on this lease and whether or not it is good value for money. And it is not, and yet we continue to operate -- or to -- we continue to hold on to this lease and to spend millions of dollars on improvements, on tenant improvements, when we could just be building a specialized facility that meets the requirements of a courthouse, which includes the secure environment for prisoner transports, for court security purposes. These are not new issues. I've...

Mr. Speaker, frustration continues to grow among my constituents who are stuck in the process of finalizing their recreational land leases years after the department indicated their applications were moving ahead. I've been working with several constituents over the last six months -- the Minister knows who they are -- to figure out how to move forward and along the way to progress. And what I have seen so far has been incredibly disappointing.

When I last spoke on the floor, the Minister responsible, he assured me that this process was consistent and transparent, and he would work to improve...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to stand and support this motion, and I thank the Member for bringing it forward. This is -- as he stated very clearly, this is not one community's issue. It is not a small community issue; it's not a Yellowknife issue; this is an issue for everyone. Everyone in the Northwest Territories, regardless of where they are in -- which is shocking when you consider how far-flung and remote some of our communities are. When it comes to this K-9 unit, this is a very specialized unit of police that serves an essential role in helping combat drug trafficking...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I can respect that because I could have a lot to say about decisions of his predecessors, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister have an answer for my constituents any time -- will my constituents have an answer, yes or no, any time soon? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, I've raised the issue of recreational land leasing in this House before. It seems like we don't have a clear path forward. What has the Minister been able to accomplish on his end since I've raised this leasing issue in the North Slave? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister issue a moratorium on all future land leasing until he can get this problem solved? Because it's unfair to raise expectations in the hopes of my constituents and any other Northerner looking for a recreational land lease. Let's just call it quits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, that's good. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's good, it's good to work with the First Nations. It's essential to work with the First Nations. But the Akaitcho process has obviously never been settled, so why have we been issuing these leases in the past? There are cabins out there. There are homes out there. Why have we made these decisions in the past, Mr. Speaker?

Yes, thank you. I would encourage the Minister to do that. The association of communities is quite keen to see this funding, or something like it, restored and provided to them and is concerned about this cut. So if it is being offset by other sources, best to communicate that to them without delay.

So the issue seems to be with the low carbon leadership economy fund. That's what's been in the headlines at least, and what's been communicated to us. The other smaller cuts, electric bicycle rebates, electric on the land vehicle rebates, electric vehicles fast charger corridor, electric vehicles...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize one of my constituents, Nancy Bies, who not only a Range Lake constituent but a multiple myeloma survivor, and I'll be asking questions on her behalf today and the others who are suffering from that disease in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.