Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, a colleague from Tu Nedhe made a statement regarding land use access and consultation. I would like to follow up with a couple of questions to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. The issue, Mr. Speaker, centres on illegal or unauthorized land use in the Yellowknife area, the Ingraham Trail and Highway No. 3. It is a long-standing issue. I know, Mr. Speaker, that DIAND has similar issues with illegal occupancy on land that it controls in these neighbourhoods. Mr. Speaker, what are we doing to stop the unauthorized use of MACA-controlled lands in the Yellowknife area? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of trespassers on Commissioner's land has been something that has been a going concern for some while; since, I believe, 1994. We had enforcement for people who trespassed on Commissioner's land. However, as a result of the moratorium on land sales and the lack of resources and staff to provide enforcement, it has been something that has not been on the forefront. We haven't done a lot of work in this area. Recently, we've engaged in discussions with the federal government, DIAND staff, and we are also talking with the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and ourselves to put together a working group to look at this whole issue of trespassers on the Ingraham Trail, Highway No. 3 and other parts of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Don't we have on the books now sufficient rules and enforcement guidelines to take reasonable but responsible action against illegal occupancy? I guess I am wondering why we need to put together a working group regarding laws and rules that are, to my understanding, already on the books. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is quite right; we have sufficient laws to deal with the issue of trespassers. However, there is the issue of who is out there and in what capacity. There are a number of people out there who have a legitimate right to be out there. There are indigenous aboriginal people out there. There are people who are trespassing.

So we have to be able to identify who is located where and who has a right to be there. We are doing that. We are doing an assessment of how many people are out there. We are trying to find out who they are. Some have BCRs, band council resolutions, indicating that they have a right to be there. Some of them have band council resolutions that the aboriginal groups are telling us have expired. So we have to do an assessment of everybody that is out there and who has what rights before we can take the next step. That is what we are working on. We also have to be able to identify the resources, in terms of financial resources and staff to be able to carry this out. This is a huge undertaking. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a technical question here. Perhaps I will put it in the form of a written question later on, but I am going to be seeking some explanation of what constitutes another person's right to occupy land that the Commissioner has some jurisdiction on. Perhaps I will put that out there as my question now. Are there two different sets of rights for access to Commissioner's land, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are aboriginal people who are using land for subsistence, hunting cabins or other means that allow them to enhance the lifestyle, who have the right to be out there. So I guess they would have a special right, as the Member is questioning. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Okay. That is certainly one valid explanation. Mr. Speaker, I guess with those situations with persons who probably do not have a legitimate use to the land, what is the department doing to correct the situation with those who are illegally occupying the land or do not have authorization on Commissioner's land? What are we doing to correct the situation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess we are doing a couple of things. We are in negotiations with the aboriginal government of this area, the Akaitcho. We have also set up a joint working group. We are putting together an approach to deal with this

issue. We are in the process of developing a public relations campaign that we will be bringing forward by March of this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent. Mr. Speaker, the rationale that the Minister gave me for why it wouldn't cost any extra to have remand inmates incarcerated in Yellowknife was because the facility was staffed anyway. In the last set of questions, he said that the central control area in the SMCC would be staffed anyway on a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week basis. So, Mr. Speaker, what is the difference? Where are the savings? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The staff complement at SMCC has been increased by 5.5 positions to accommodate the 24-7 requirement to watch inmates in remand. This will allow us to reduce the staff complement by 5.5, so the staff complement, through attrition, will be reduced at SMCC. That is where the savings are. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we just determined that, in fact, the people who are staffing that control area are not there only for remand inmates. They are there for inmates who could be there for at least four other reasons, so they are going to be there anyway. I hope that the Minister can understand what my question is. The staff is there anyway. It doesn't take more staff because there is an additional presence of remand. They are there anyway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mrs. Groenewegen, I didn't hear a question there. Could you rephrase that question, Mrs. Groenewegen?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is the difference between the staff complement in a central control area when there are remand inmates there? Are there any additional staff required, no matter what the mix of inmates is, in that particular area of the jail? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.