(Translation) Madam Speaker, I am pleased to announce that preparations are now under way to hold a municipal lands referendum in each Nunavut community in April 1995.

The lands referendum, Madam Speaker, is a requirement under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, which provides for the devolution of public lands administration to Nunavut communities. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs will see to the turnover of fee simple title to all municipal lands by July 9, 1996.

As owners of municipal lands, Nunavut communities will have control of the allocation of land in their communities. This is a responsibility communities have sought for many years.

Before the municipalities can dispose of municipal lands, however, it is a requirement of article 14 of the land claims legislation that voters in each community decide on the level of authority the local community council should have.

Each community is to hold its own separate referendum on whether the local community council should have the choice to sell any of its municipal lands, or whether the council should be prohibited from selling lands and only be able to grant leases and permits.

I am pleased to advise Members that a key first step has been taken with an agreement with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, (NTI), on the details of the community referendum. The date of April 10, 1995 has been set, and the referendum question has also been finalized.

The question will read as follows, Madam Speaker. "Do you want the Town of Iqaluit to be able to sell municipal lands"? All voters are eligible to vote in their local referendum, which will be decided by a simple majority vote.

Madam Speaker, department staff are already working with NTI on referendum preparations, including public information materials such as posters, pamphlets and advertisements (in both Inuktitut and English) to assist the community voters to understand the question being asked. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

---Applause