As much as it sounds like it's that easy, it is not that easy. It's a very complicated process. It's about process, and we need to do it right. We need to work with them, and we need a clear understanding of the overall picture. Right now, I cannot make a commitment. I know it's in my riding, or it's actually in my colleague's from the Deh Cho. The other riding, Nahendeh, is part of the Deh Cho, and I have heard from leadership. They have talked to me about this, as well, but we want to make sure we do it right.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Madame la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. Look, this is a very long, drawn-out process. The boundaries have gone through a lot of discussion, negotiation. Any areas of even medium mineral potential were carved out of this area. The community wanted to protect the Willow River down to the Deh Cho. Even that area, the canyon, was carved down to a very small area. The problem seems to be this government is not moving forward. Look, this is a great way that we can start off on a new foot, better relationship, with our Indigenous governments. When is this government going to transfer the subsurface and get this deal done? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

As I have tried to say here in the House, it's a three-party process. It's the federal government, us, and DFN. I understand that DFN and the federal government have agreed to this area right now. Again, I am not saying we do not agree with it, but it's about the process. The whole process needs to be addressed, and we need clear understanding of where we are going ahead of this. Again, this is a Cabinet issue, and we are trying to work with them. We have reached out to them in correspondence. The Premier has already met with the grand chief, and we are starting that process. What I will say is we will continue to work on this process to get it resolved. The timeframe, I cannot make a commitment on that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance tried to explain the grant in lieu. The grant in lieu is the same concept as taxes. Am I correct?

Thank you, Member. Minister of Finance.

Madam Speaker, yes. Thank you. It's comparable insofar as the government does not pay property taxes the same way a private resident or private industry would. It is a way of compensating municipalities for the use of those properties. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

One hundred and forty million dollars for the City of Yellowknife for the 35-year period for grants in lieu/taxes, is this not an extra expense?

I apologize. I am not sure I know what numbers this Member is referencing, so I am at a bit of a disadvantage on this particular point. Grants in lieu, there is a very careful policy, a detailed policy, that the government uses to establish what is owed to municipalities under the grants in lieu. It is a process that uses independent assessors to identify the proper amounts. It's something that is paid to all communities. It's paid to all communities, and it's budgeted for, and so there really should not be long-term surprises in the course of grants in lieu. It's an important aspect of maintaining our partnerships and our funding to communities when we are using the resources of those communities and using up the land that would otherwise be available for them to have own-source revenues.

Is the Finance Minister comfortable in defending a flawed agreement/contract with regard to the P3 of the Stanton hospital?

The Stanton Territorial Hospital is a world-class facility. It is going to provide an opportunity for residents of the Northwest Territories, all residents of the Northwest Territories, to access services that would have otherwise not been available to us. While we acknowledge that there have been some challenges in the early, very early, stages of the roll-out of this very large and complex building, I am confident that those services are going to be here and to provide for all residents of the Northwest Territories. The P3 process for the Stanton Territorial Hospital was subject to quite rigorous auditing and quite rigorous review, and I am confident that it will, in the course of time, provide the right services and the best possible services to the residents of the Northwest Territories and that the reviews will be ongoing over the years to ensure that fact.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance stated that the P3 for Stanton project came in on budget. Do you as Finance Minister truly believe this is a correct statement?

The capital planning for the project was, as I understand, $350 million, and that is indeed in the end the capital cost for construction. Now, the contract is now valued at an additional $751 million over the course of time. Every five years, there can be some adjustments made, but those adjustments are made with the partners and with all partners involved. Again, not with any surprises. I believe a very detailed and lengthy public process was offered for a technical briefing to the committee. The public was invited. That was put onto Facebook; it was made very open and accessible to the members of all of the Northwest Territories to ask hours of questions to some of the lead individuals involved in terms of designing that contract, implementing the contract, and providing services at the hospital. I believe, in fact, that those several hours' worth of review and briefings are still available through a link through the Legislative Assembly website. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Our job here is to be legislators and to debate policy, and I am consistently frustrated that I find myself getting into the implementation and the operations of our departments. Earlier today, I heard the Minister of Lands commit that the land within municipal boundaries, there is a working group in place; hopefully, within a year, we have a process document; and then after that, we may see the land transferred. Unfortunately, I have to ask questions of every Minister to ensure that this is happening, so my question is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs: is the Minister willing to enter into an MOU with the Department of Lands, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, the City of Yellowknife, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and the heart of that MOU is that the land within municipal boundaries will be transferred? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This situation with a land transfer happening within a municipal boundary is a quite complex situation in that there are a lot of parties at the table that we would have to work with, going forward, and consult with. Right now, the department is not in favour of entering into an MOU, to be honest. There is a lot of consideration to be thought through, looking at the land transfer and the affected parties and what is going to be coming along with that transfer, and looking at that transfer and what is going to be available to the City of Yellowknife, to the YKDFN, and the affected parties that are there. Looking for a thorough assessment, I'd have to be working closely with my colleague for the Department of Lands, the Minister of Lands, and working with the City of Yellowknife and YKDFN. Those relationships have already been established, so going forward, we are speaking about this process. I'd really like to stress that the transfer is quite complex. It's not something that can easily be completed. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I am well aware that there are complexities in the implementation of any policy, but there is clear policy direction from the legislative branch that this be done. It is as simple as the Minister providing a ministerial directive to their department to devolve the lands, and then the department figures out the logistics. In the meantime, we have the City of Yellowknife's plan being required to be approved by the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs and any revisions, a process that is taking too long. Will the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs commit to removing the requirement of her approval while this process is ongoing?

My apologies to my colleague. I'm not in favour of removing our abilities, of myself as Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, that this is happening within the municipal boundary. We do have a lot of consultations to be completed within the timeframe. We also have to consider that the transfer that is happening, that all parties at the table are, I don't want to use the words "in agreement," but I really want to stress the word "consultation." We do have ongoing land claims that have not been settled within this area, as well. I would really like to be mindful that this is a very delicate process and that it does involve legalities. Looking at this process, we are working closely with the stakeholders and closely with my colleague, the Minister of Lands. I would just like to really stress that it is a very complicated situation, and it's not as easy as it could be done signing papers and the transfer is complete. We do have to really concentrate on a lot of the scenarios that do come with them. I don't want to identify them, because it is a very complex situation.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Masi, Madam Speaker. [Translation] I'd like to ask a question regarding the Department of Justice. Sometimes, we are thankful to the RCMP when people are busted for drugs and that drugs don't go into the community, so we know what they are facing regarding the RCMP. I'm going to ask her a question. [End of translation]

There were several drug busts over the last few months here in the Northwest Territories, and in our communities, as well. I would like to send kudos and congratulate and also be thankful to the RCMP "G" Division for stopping these illegal drugs from entering the North.

When the drug bust occurred in Hay River a couple of months back, there were only three names released to the public out of the nine who were actively involved. I would just like to know the process from the Department of Justice, working with the RCMP "G" Division. what is the process of releasing these assailants or criminals who were all involved in a drug bust so we can have this publicly released so people are aware that these are people who are heavily involved with drugs? I just want to know the process, Madam Speaker. Masi.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Justice.