Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I believe we are missing a significant opportunity to live better, eat better, diversify our economy, create local jobs and be more independent in the Northwest Territories. We must grow in quantity more of our own food.

A constituent tells me, “Have you ever thought what happens when the food trucks stop coming north?” We tend to forget that the southern half of our territory is very sunny and has some potentially good agriculture land. Hay River has had some degree of success and so could Fort Simpson and probably other communities as well. It is a vision shared by some of my constituents and others throughout the North. The problem is access to land. We have a huge and great land, but the rules for using them are pretty heavy duty, especially considering that farms are so common all over Canada and they have easier access.

I’m not sure if devolution of land and the taking over of a federal application process has complicated things. In the Deh Cho for a lease or sale of Commissioner’s land, the GNWT must seek the approval of the a

ffected Dehcho First Nation. That’s

fine; it’s only a 30-day process, in theory anyway. It is set out in the Interim Measures Agreement.

Where the Dehcho Land Use Planning Process fits in is not so clear. The planning committ

ee’s website

refers to economic and political barriers to agriculture, and that’s about it. Then we have our departments of Lands, and Industry, Tourism and Investment. ITI is working gung-ho, well, sort of, on the Agriculture Strategy, and Lands department seems to have a bunch of rules they may or may not be sorting out.

But let’s not leave out the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, the purveyor of permits under federal rules. As I understand it, if land needs to be cleared with heavy machinery, then a would-be farmer has to apply for a land use permit and then wait for it. On the other hand, if land is already cleared, it seems no land use permit is required. To me, it looks like anyone who wants to farm or wants to grow healthy food for us all to eat had better be a darn good lawyer as well. The rules are not clear. It is no wonder applicants are frustrated.

I will have questions later on for the Minister of Lands during question period. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in this session I asked about the progress of the on-the-land program as the closing date for expression of interest was the end of January.

As we get closer to spring, I am hopeful we have this program in place as the spring is, in my opinion, the best time to be out on the land. This is a good opportunity for those in our corrections facilities, and I’m positive there will be a lot of interest.

I’ll have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Item 4, returns to oral questions, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Dolynny on March 4, 2015, regarding the Auditor General Report on Corrections in the NWT

– Department of

Justice.

This government is committed to supporting an environment of continuous improvement in the corrections service and throughout the GNWT. The annual performance audits conducted by the office of the Auditor General support this commitment and provide us with an opportunity to receive valuable feedback on our programs and services.

The office of the Auditor General conducts independent audits and studies that provide objective information, advice and assurance to the federal and territorial governments. There was no mention by this independent and respected office in the report or in any of the numerous meetings held between the staff of the office and departmental officials of any wrongdoing by the Department of Justice or its staff.

I’ve accepted all of the recommendations in the Auditor General’s report on corrections in the NWT. Indeed, as the Premier stated in the Assembly last week, several changes have already been implemented or are underway, and if an audit were conducted today, the findings would be quite different. I’m confident that the steps taken by the Department of Justice, and it’s planning that is underway, will address the concerns highlighted in the Auditor General’s report.

Respectfully, any suggestion that we should investigate laying charges against the very people

in the corrections service that we know are doing the hard work to make the improvements required is both unnecessary and demoralizing. If the Member has specific questions or concerns about the audit

report, I’m sure that these can be

addressed either by me or by the department staff during the hearings of the Standing Committee on Government Operations that will be coming up in May. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very

pleased to greet a resident of Weledeh, Karen Johnson, and, of course, her daughter is serving as a Page today in the House, Linnea Stephenson, and I’d also like to recognize Jacob Schubert who is also a resident of Weledeh. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Ernie Bernhardt, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly but, more importantly, my roommate back in residential school many, many, many years ago. I welcome him to the Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to recognize two Pages from Yellowknife South, Megan Vu and Lucas Heal, and also

– we went to Grandin College together – Ernie

Bernhardt. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I’d also

like to welcome Mr. Bernhardt into the House with his son. Welcome to the House today, and welcome everybody here. Thank you for taking an interest in our public hearings today.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement. It’s about agricultural lands and the application process. I would like to ask the Minister of Lands again about what role the Lands department is playing in ITI’s Agriculture Strategy.

I would like to know how the two departments are coordinating their efforts so that this strategy actually works and makes agricultural lands easier for our residents to apply for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Lands, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Lands role in that would be to take the applications and go through the process with them. My understanding is that we distribute the application for comments from the local First Nations governments and other people who are involved and we take those comments and decide what next steps we have to do and whether to proceed with the application or not, or if there are other requirements that the applicant has to fill out. Thank you.

What help is available for residents who want to access land for farming and are struggling with the rules and red tape? It seems that the application process is cumbersome with the guidelines and procedures.

What kind of help does the department have with an applicant working through the application process? Thank you.

This is where they would work with the local lands office. If they go in there and seek help we’d be able to assist them in trying to guide them through some of the requirements and the processes of filling out the applications. Thank you.

I’d just like to know, how does

the Department of Lands work with the affected First Nations to process potential leases for agricultural lands? Is there a separate process when somebody applies for agricultural land when working with the First Nations as opposed to say industrial development or different development? Is there a separate process when the application is for agricultural land? Thank you.

My understanding is all applications are vetted through a pretty similar process where we do our consultations with the local First Nation government to gather comments and concerns on the project proposal and it usually takes about 45 days to go through this process. So again, my understanding is the application process is pretty well the same. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister if the current application process is something that we inherited as a result of devolution, because it seems so cumbersome and it’s a whole different process when constituents throughout the North are applying for agricultural lands. Is that something that can be reviewed as well? Thank you.

I will commit to the Member that I will review with the officials the application process and whether it’s part of our

process or

if it’s one we inherited and if there are

opportunities to review it and make some necessary changes so we’ll be able to assist people out there with their applications. Again, there is always the option of, if they have some questions, to come quietly to our lands office and get some assistance from them. But I will commit to the Member that we will review it and I will report back to committee.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.