Shane Thompson

I thank the Minister for that answer. I understand, you know, he made a commitment and talked about us in standing committee in 2017, but why wasn't this information given to us saying this was going to happen April 1st? We didn't hear anything about it, and I attended a number of the meetings. I may have missed the meeting, so why weren't we informed of this happening? Because, again, it's a Christmas gift. Not one I wanted, but it's a Christmas gift from the Minister. So will he please explain why it took him until after we had the session?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry about that. I would like to inform the house that John and Sharon Herring received the Senate Sesquicentennial Medal on Sunday, April 8th, from former Senator Nick Sibbeston. It is a very proud moment when residents of the NWT are recognized for outstanding work. The medal is awarded to residents actively involved in their communities who, through generosity, dedication, volunteerism, and hard work, make their community a better place to live. Without a doubt, these two encompass all of those qualities. Their accomplishments are appreciated and are important to...

I thank the Minister for the long answer, and well-detailed, and I appreciate that. I guess I might have missed that email, but again, I guess I love way we say, well, we sent a letter, and that's consulting people. How did we engage the residents of the Northwest Territories who were impacted by this decision? Because NWT Lands has a huge impact on, not only in the small communities that I represent, but their cabins. So how did you engage the people of the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on March 22nd I got a Christmas present, a little early or it might have been a little bit late, from the Department of Lands. This is a press secretary release saying that there was going to be a media announcement about the leases in there, so this has been a gift that's been given to me ever since then, and I keep on getting questions from my leadership and members in the communities. So this is my question to the Minister of Lands: can the Minister please advise why the media offer was offered to them after our winter session, and not during the winter...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on February 20th, 10 students from TSS, accompanied by two chaperones, travelled to Vancouver to attend the Wisdom to Action, Youth-Led Suicide Prevention Programs conference that was held at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre on East Hastings Street. Conference organizers and contributors included the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Dalhousie University, the Embrace Life Council of Nunavut, and the Canadian Red Cross.

The conference was held over two days, February 21st and 22nd, and many topics relevant to our youth and community were presented and...

I thank the Minister for that clarification. My next question: how does the government come up with an assessment for Commissioner's land and territorial land?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as you have heard, the Nahendeh region has dealt with a number of tragic deaths in the past year. We have had a lot of people working on helping the residents deal with this matter. Last June, the Deh Cho Divisional Education Council trustees directed the staff to plan a conference around the theme of mental health. This is one way to respond to the sixth suicide in the past six months, a young woman from the community of Fort Simpson. There was a concern that our youth needed more information on how to live healthy lives and make positive choices. A...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is Societies Eligibility for the Business Incentive Policy. Would the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment please provide the following information?

It appears that the Business Incentive Policy (BIP) as is currently applied may compromise an incorporated society's right to "have all the powers, rights and immunities vested by law in a corporation," as provided by section 4(2) of the Societies Act. Please explain this possible infringement of a legal right by the Business Incentive Policy.

Some societies carry out small business activities, may...

I thank the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, if a constituent has arrears, does the department have a plan that can help them get in good standings, or is legal action that is threatened in the courts, is that still going to be moving forward?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not going to go onto that lease issue, because we could be here for another year dealing with it, and we would like to get it moved forward.

My next set of questions are to the Minister of Lands, and it's a follow-up from the first set of questions that I had for him when we talk about territorial and Commissioner's lands. It is my understanding that the calculations are different for territorial and Commissioner's lands. Can the Minister explain why there are two different calculations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.