Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thought in my Minister's statement it was quite clear how this process would be carried out. The first step in doing this was we had to get an agreement with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, especially on the date and also the wording of the question that would be asked for the referendum.

With respect to the transfer of municipal lands, municipalities are now preparing necessary by-laws to acquire those lots occupied by municipal buildings and turnovers have commenced. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Madam Speaker, I take it from the Minister's answer that the devolution will occur, provided that the community votes yes in the community plebiscite that was set up under the land claims agreement. My supplementary, Madam Speaker, is if the community decided to take on this responsibility, how would the cost of this additional administrative requirement be met by the hamlet or the municipality? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Madam Speaker, I really want to understand this correctly. Is the Minister telling me that her department will turn over the fee simple title and the responsibility for administering community lands in municipalities, where communities vote yes, and that the federal government will pay for the additional administrative costs incurred by those hamlets and municipalities to administer those lands? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The question on the referendum will be, "Do you want the hamlet of..." for example "...Iqaluit to be able to sell municipal lands?" In the event the answer is no, they will still have the responsibility of municipal lands. If the vote is yes, that gives them the authority to sell municipal land. But if the local council doesn't want to sell the land, they don't have to. It will be up to the community. There will be money available from the federal government to help pay for the salaries and the trained local land administrators. Thank you.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Patterson.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think I am finally getting the answer to the question. The answer was, the federal government will help pay the salaries of the new staff required. If the federal funds are not adequate to pay for all these costs, since the Minister said the federal government will only help pay the salary cost, who picks up the balance? How are those incremental costs to be borne by the hamlets and municipalities? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. To my understanding, most of the municipalities are funded for municipal lands operations. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Gargan.