This is page numbers 5601 - 5648 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was public. View the webstream of the day's session.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Premier for that answer. So, leading on from the 89 suggestions, could the Minister tell us what process is in place to make a selection of those names and who is part of that selection process?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Twenty-two submissions were for the Inuvik government building, three submissions were received for the Fort Simpson government building, and 64 submissions were received for the Yellowknife government building. The campaign to name these buildings was launched with a website, in the newspaper, and on social media platforms. Letters were also sent to the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning as well as Indigenous governments and municipal heritage committees. The guidelines for selecting names for Government of the Northwest Territories-owned office buildings sets out how the nominations will be evaluated. Nominations received in honour of deceased persons who have made significant contributions to public life and the well-being of residents are also eligible for consideration.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Using the answer that the Premier just gave, then there were 109 ideas for names, in any case, a lot of names. Who is going to evaluate the selection? Who is going to evaluate the possibilities using the criteria established?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Each nomination will be considered based on how the proposed building name reflects historical, cultural, and geographic significance. The submissions have been referred to the Northwest Territories Honours Advisory Council to provide a recommendation to the Executive Council on a name for each of the three government office buildings. Executive Council will consider the recommendations once they are received.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Premier for that answer. At what point should we expect to hear a recommendation or in fact a decision from the Executive Council?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

My expectation is that we should expect something within the next few months, hopefully before the August session. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Lands some questions about equity leases, and I would like to follow up more today.

---Laughter

Well, I am just trying to make the Minister of Infrastructure happy here today. Mr. Speaker, my question again is to the Minister of Lands. My first question is: if all equity lease payments are made by lessee under equity leases and the lease is assigned, does the lessee who makes the payments get reimbursed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you. I would like to thank the Member for his question. I would also like to clarify and correct the responses I made yesterday to the questions from the Member for Nahendeh. In my response, I referred to a lease and stated I looked at a lease where there was a partial refunded equity. What I should have said was that I looked at an amendment to lease which contained a clause allowing for a refund of equity in certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions. I have had a chance to look at several documents today dealing with the issue of refund of equity or partial refund of equity, and they deal with the situations where a lease surrendered or cancelled, in one case, or surrendered or terminated.

In situations where there is an assignment of an equity lease, the new lessee takes over the lease, including the amount that's been paid as equity into the lease, and, unless the lease says something to the contrary, there would be no reimbursement to the prior lessee who had made the payments prior to the assignment.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Can the Minister advise us in what circumstances can a partial refund of equity lease payments be made under the equity lease process?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

As I mentioned, I do not know if these occur in all equity leases, but I certainly have seen a partial refund of equity in one document and a refund of equity in another. However, that dealt with situations of surrender or termination and dealt with circumstances in which a refund or a partial refund could be made. However, I am informed by my department that they have not come across a situation in Lands/MACA where a full or partial refund has been paid out. The clause may exist. It is subject to many conditions, and, apparently, as I say, they are not aware of any refunds having been paid out in situations where there was termination, surrender, cancellation or assignment. Certainly, there does not appear to be, even though this clause exist, much use of it, and certainly, there would not be and should not be in situations where there is an assignment of the lease.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Yesterday, the Minister talked about new leases or new existing leases or there's no new equity leases. The situation is that, if I bought a car and I sold it to the Minister, he doesn't have to go back and pay the dealership. It doesn't happen that way. I get the money, and then we move on and I get the rights to the vehicle. Again, I'm not talking about new leases. I'm speaking about honouring the equity lease which existed with the original owner. Will the department honour the existing leases to the new owner as they purchased that? That was what they're trying to do. They're trying to enhance their business or home, and that's what they're trying to do.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Of course, if the lease is assigned, it is a contract that is assigned, and the government will honour the terms of that lease. We are, however, not issuing new equity leases.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for allowing us this exchange here today, and I appreciate the information he's providing here. Again, I'm not talking about a new equity lease. I'm talking about an existing equity lease that the person purchased, because right now, as soon as they purchase a lot and it turns over to a lease, there's a whole bunch more rules to it, which puts up blocks for businesses and opportunity for people to build homes, because then there's a clause there that they have to actually pay money to look after it, to remediate it back to its original state. Will the department look at the three decisions that I'm aware of and return them to equity leases until the file is fixed, until equity leases are dealt with? In other words, give the person the opportunity to have an equity lease with these lots?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

As I have said, we're not issuing new equity leases, and haven't been doing so for some time. I appreciate, when a new lease is issued, it is not an equity lease, and the parties would be simply bound by the terms of a new lease if a new lease is entered into. As I have said, we are not issuing new equity leases. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the documents entitled "2018 Socio-Economic Agreement Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "2019-20 Health and Social Services Authority Budgets"; and "Impacts of the NWT on the Land Collaborative & Land-Based Programming." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Mr. Speaker, wish to table the following three documents entitled "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 605-18(3): Junior Kindergarten Program"; "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 620-18(3): Indigenous Languages in Junior Kindergarten"; and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 696-18(3): Online Safety for Children." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Item 15, notices of motion. Member for Yellowknife Centre.