The whole premise and process of land claims negotiations is based on the Dene-Metis Comprehensive Claim from 20 years ago. It’s being fair to a process where we’ve seen four land claim and resources agreements settled based on populations from 20 years ago. For a party to wait 20 years to negotiate whose population increases, it means that there’s a difference between the settlements. That’s why both the Government of Canada and the Northwest Territories government are using the populations that were in place at the time of the draft Dene-Metis Comprehensive Claim 20 years ago. The population numbers from then are significantly different now. Obviously, the numbers are significantly higher now.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories is working hard to find solutions to the significant outstanding issues at the Dehcho Process negotiations. Part of this work included making an offer to the Dehcho on land quantum and how to conclude a Dehcho agreement-in-principle. This offer took many months to develop and incorporated the work of senior officials appointed by myself and the Dehcho grand chief to consider innovative solutions to these very challenges. When I wrote to the grand chief to clarify our offer, I indicated that we were looking forward to receiving a response by April 6th , so we’re still waiting for that

response.

I think the negotiations process at this point has reached a perilous point where perhaps parties might walk away. There could be a call where negotiations are basically going to come to a halt, and that’s not in the best interests of the

people of the Deh Cho, of the NWT, or even Canada, for that matter, for the uncertainty of the land tenure and the ownership and the jurisdiction to not be clarified.

At what point would the Premier or the Minister call upon his leadership and call upon the Dehcho leadership to step in, instead of leaving the negotiation process and the fate of the whole discussions of land and self-government to their officials and become involved and bring it to the spirit where it’s supposed to happen so that leaders can sit side by side with each other and come to some constructive discussion? Mahsi.

Thank you. Certainly that is what we would like to do if we can get to that.

The Government of the Northwest Territories negotiators advise the Dehcho and federal negotiators that while offers were being exchanged and considered at the highest levels between the parties, main table negotiations should be paused to allow the Dehcho First Nations time to consider the GNWT offer. We are still waiting for a response. Thank you.

Can the Minister provide an update of the Dehcho Process negotiations? I know he’s spent a lot of time explaining where the process is at, but from his perspective, is there hope? Is there a point where we should be concerned? Mahsi.

There’s always hope. From what I’m hearing from the two Members here, it seems apparent that the Dehcho First Nations have rejected the land offer that we’ve made, but that is a bilateral process. It was between the Dehcho First Nations and the Government of the Northwest Territories. We have offered to go to the communities to explain the offer that we’ve made, and we’ve also offered to anyone that invites us to come to present that. Obviously, at the end of the day, there’s always the main table, which involves the federal government, the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Dehcho First Nations, where we can all use that process to decide the way forward. Thank you.

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

Thank you. My final question is in all these negotiations sometimes they come to a point where you can’t really resolve the differences.

Are there any provisions within the negotiations policy of this government or else the framework agreement, that’s been hammered out with all the parties, for any provision for a dispute mechanism? Mahsi.

Thank you. The framework agreement does provide for that and the Dehcho negotiators had requested a main table session today and, ultimately, they decided to cancel it, but

the provisions of the draft agreement do provide for that. So when we come to it, we’d be prepared to discuss it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Finance today in relation to my statement on payroll tax.

How much of the $42.7 million collected in payroll tax is paid by NWT residents and what percent of those residents can get their payroll tax back? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The payroll tax is administered under the Payroll Tax Act and is levied at the rate of 2 percent of employment earnings. The low-income earners get back the tax when they file. The question is in earners; as well, the answer is that the payroll tax is non-refundable. Although the refundable cost of living tax credit was introduced at the same time as a payroll tax, it is viewed as an offset to the payroll tax. The cost of living tax credit is calculated on the basis of net income and can be claimed by tax filers regardless of whether payroll tax is paid. Thank you.

Do we actually know how many people in the Northwest Territories, what percentage of people that file taxes get their payroll tax back in any form? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

With regard to the previous question, over the past five-year period from 2009-2010 to 2013-14, the average payroll tax generated was $38.7 million per year. In 2013-14 the GNWT collected $41.245 million in payroll tax revenue. Thank you.

We’ve been talking in this House about generating more people in the Northwest Territories. Would it not be an incentive for people to stay in the Northwest Territories if that payroll tax was 5 percent? Can we increase the payroll tax to 5 percent, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

We raised it from 1 to 2 percent. To go to 5 percent would be problematic just because of the cost to administer it and the value to us in the long run and the fact that Canada Revenue Agency looks very carefully at payroll taxes and has a fairly jaundiced view of their appropriateness. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger.

Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.

My understanding of this tax is it was created to tax those people who work in the Northwest Territories, but we give those taxes back to the residents of the Northwest Territories. When did the Government of the Northwest Territories change the payroll tax? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The payroll tax is the same. The cost of living tax credit is in place that benefits Northerners and allows for some of the money to be recovered through the tax refund process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.