Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2019-2020 Main Estimates for the Department of Lands. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $1,847,000, or 9 percent over the 2018-2019 Main Estimates.

These estimates continue to support the objectives of limiting expenditure growth in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework. These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 18^th Legislative Assembly through the management and administration of sustainable use of public land in the Northwest Territories.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include new initiative funding totalling $1,677,000 to further enhance our ability to responsibly manage land in the Northwest Territories. This includes funding of $674,000 in 2019-2020 to support a two-year initiative for the establishment of a Wek'eezhii land use planning committee and planning office.

Building on work that began in 2018-2019, these estimates also include funding of $674,000 for 2019-2020 to continue to advance work for the management of untenured and unauthorized occupancy of public lands. This initiative includes a number of term positions to support this work, including a land administrator position, a strategic analyst sustainability position, and a resource management officer II position.

To support the department's core functions, these estimates include $200,000 for one indeterminate geotechnical advisor to provide land-related geotechnical knowledge and $129,000 for one indeterminate geomatics analyst.

To further advance work that began in 2018-2019 to address equity leases in the Northwest Territories, the department's estimates include an additional $563,000 to fund a total of five positions, for three years, to address this land tenure issue. Four lands specialist positions dedicated to this initiative are located in Fort Simpson, Inuvik, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife, with the team lead position located in Fort Smith.

Lands' estimates include a sunset of one-time funding of $50,000, which was approved in support of the Agriculture Strategy implementation initiative led by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, as well as a sunset of $106,000 for transition allowances for devolved federal employees previously approved for a five-year term beginning in 2014-2015.

To support our mandate commitments in the area of land use planning, these estimates provide for the Department of Lands to continue to coordinate the Government of the Northwest Territories' input into the development of regional land use plans, including capacity building and contribution funding to Indigenous governments in areas without completed land use plans. In addition to the work with the Tlicho and federal government to support land use planning for public lands in the Wek'eezhii area, the department is leading the development of an approach to land use planning for the southeast portion of the Northwest Territories. Work in this area will be further enhanced with the completion of the department's strategic approach to land use planning NWT-wide, which is expected to be released in early 2019-2020.

These estimates also continue to support the high inspection standards that mitigate potential risk on public land dispositions, as well as those that may exist in relation to activities that have been permitted by the department or the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.

This concludes my opening remarks. Thank you.