Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I was talking about, in my statement on the devolution responsibilities transferred from the federal government to this territorial government and being prudent and responsible over those responsibilities transferred on land and resource management.

I would like to ask the Minister of Lands if he's willing to come to Norman Wells with his deputy minister to better understand the site, the scope of work, the area. In looking at the document submitted to the Sahtu Land and Water Board for a permit, it clearly shows that there's Commissioner's land within this proven area boundary, so that's just an example of one of the purposes of the visit. So I wonder if the Minister would accept my invitation with the deputy minister to do a community visit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

As this House will know, Imperial Oil is responsible for the remediation for their oil and gas operation at Norman Wells, and that the vast majority of the property on which their operations are located are in the proven area. I understand that we hold one lease with Imperial Oil. We will look into the matter but I don't know if it's worthy of a trip. Thank you.

In being supportive, also part of the trip would give the Minister a site visit to viewing his other portfolio responsibilities in the area of the NWT Power Corporation. The actual plant itself is within the boundary, so that exposure to liability on un-surveyed property would be another item on the agenda.

So given that reason, on analyzing the liabilities in conjunction with the regional office and a site visit would be another purpose. So my question to the Minister in putting on his Power Corporation hat would he come to the community and extend my invitation for that responsibility, to look at the power plant itself?

I thank the Member opposite for the kind invitation to me, both as Minister of Lands and Minister Responsible for the Power Corporation; however, prior to contemplating such a visit I'd like to examine the issue so that I'd be fully apprised of all the issues should I decide to go to Norman Wells. Thank you.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister commit to work on the logistics of an agenda trip with me? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Lands and the Minister Responsible for the Power Corporation is always happy to work with the Members opposite.

---Laughter

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Minister.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, my questions will be for the Minister of Lands. I'm very grateful to hear that they make a commitment that he follow through on it, and I wish the other Ministers would follow the lead and follow the Lands Minister and any verbal commitments will follow through. Well, can the Minister please explain why the department still uses the Commissioner's lands application process in areas where the unsettled land claim area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

The Commissioner's land application process applies on all Commissioner's land regardless of whether it's an area of settled or unsettled land claims. Thank you.

I thank the Minister for his answer. What are the government's rules for the sale of Commissioner's lands in regions without the settled land claim areas?

Mr. Speaker, fee simple title is not normally granted in unsettled regions due to the land lease only policy of the Government of the Northwest Territories.

I didn't understand that, but I have another question I need to forward on. We know that at least there are 43 exemptions in Cassidy Point, which is Commissioner's land, and that there's other out there that I'm aware of. That as I continue to bring this issue forward from my constituents there is exceptions to this rule. So can the Minister please advise this House what the process is for making exemptions to the rules?

Mr. Speaker, department officials review such requests and based on the merits and rationale the request can be forwarded to the Executive Council for review. Executive Council determines whether an exception to the land lease only policy is granted. Requests for a fee simple title are reviewed through the department's broader policy framework. In the future, our review will also be informed by the soon to be completed Recreational Land Management Framework and its policies and guidelines.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you to the Minister for his answer. I'm not sure that really solves the issue of unsettled unclaimed areas, so can the Minister please explain how these exemptions were made and applied besides the Executive Council? It seems the Executive Council is making these decisions that have an impact on the residents of the Northwest Territories in unsettled land claim areas. So again, can the Minister explain how these exemptions were made and apply that method to other cases in unsettled land claim areas across the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, each request for fee simple is unique and reviewed individually. In the case of Cassidy Point which was referenced earlier, we made an exception to honour a long-standing commitment to lease holders. As I mentioned, our review of exceptional situations will also be informed by the soon to be completed Recreational Land Management Framework.

One of the difficulties with dealing with matters on a case-by-case basis is that you can conceivably set precedence. There's a saying that hard cases make bad law, and I think what we want to do is make the process simple, transparent in the future, so that everybody can understand the system and be treated equally.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd just like to follow-up my line of questioning with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I didn't quite get where I wanted to go with that. So from my earlier questions I gather that its positions that were identified as expendable in the last budget were identified and a determination was made that they're expendable by deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers with no consultation from anyone below. He said that it's based on the nature of the job, which is a job description, a piece of paper, if it's vacant or not so a checked box and an impact on services. I'm unclear, and I'd like the Minister to explain to me how a DM and an ADM sitting in Yellowknife knows what the impact on services is going to be in an office they've never been to when they're making decisions about personnel they've never met? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.