Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday municipal voters in the 25 communities of the Nunavut settlement area cast their ballots in the Nunavut municipal lands referenda.
The referenda, which were held pursuant to article 14 of the Nunavut final agreement, allowed municipal voters to decide, on a community-by-community basis, whether or not they are in favour of restricting the sale of municipal lands now being transferred to the communities. Voters were asked: "Do you want your hamlet or town council to be able to sell municipal lands?" A simple majority of eligible voters who cast votes in each community determined the outcome.
Voters in all 25 communities voted in the majority "no." Therefore, all community governments in the Nunavut settlements area Nunavut settlement area will continue to lease lands. Each community government will adopt a land administration by-law which reflects the majority wishes of community residents to lease land.
Mr. Speaker, the department conducted a public awareness campaign in the period leading up to the referenda. This public awareness campaign was developed in partnership with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and the municipal councils, and involved visits by MACA staff, in most cases accompanied by an NTI representative, to each community of Nunavut.
While in communities, these "information delivery teams" provided briefings for the municipal councils, conducted local radio shows and held public meetings. These community visits were augmented by the production of an information kit in four languages, posters, radio and television announcements and a television phone-in show designed to encourage continued discussion and meetings at the community level.
The voter turnout averaged 46 per cent of voters and ranged from a high of 62 per cent to a low of 32 per cent. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to providing a detailed summary of the referenda results to Members later today.
The completed referenda are a milestone in the devolution of authority over lands to municipal councils. The department will now be working with municipal councils to assist them in taking over responsibility for the municipal lands being transferred to their ownership by July 1996. Our focus will include assisting the communities to develop land administration by-laws, and provide training to staff through the community lands administration certificate program at Nunavut Arctic College. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause