Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided]. Today I wish to speak about the land lease policy of our government's Department of Lands. Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely unbelievable that the Minister of Lands can say with a straight face that it is a fair policy. An elder tells me that she cannot afford a small second-hand car due to her high cost of living and low income, yet the lease payment for her lot is over $2,000.
Elders who are making under $25,000 per year are being asked to pay over $2,000 per year for their property lease or lot rental. This is actually a discounted amount. People who are not elders yet pay the full amount of over $4,000 per year.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands must take a second look at this extremely unfair policy. There are situations in the riding of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh where people cannot afford to apply for a lease of the land they have occupied for many, many years, let alone afford to pay the extremely high yearly lease cost.
Mr. Speaker, if people could pay these lease rates, they would eventually pay for the value of lot, but Mr. Speaker, they would still not have title to this land.
At this point, Mr. Speaker, I don't even think the Government of the Northwest Territories has the right to tax people on our land. I realize the leases are not truly taxes, but our forcing people into leases or rentals is just another way of taxing the people.
Mr. Speaker, when poor people are telling me if they were to pay their leases they would have to go without food or shelter, never mind the fact that people cannot afford to buy new clothes for their families, there is something seriously wrong.
I will ask the Minister to re-examine the land lease policy, or ask him and his Lands staff to start paying 10 per cent of the value of their property per year for land tax and see how fair they think the policy is then. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.