Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are rights-based cabins. We are working with Indigenous governments to identify the rights-based cabins. If people are out there saying, "Don't pay it," I would strongly encourage their leadership and the residents of the Northwest Territories to pay their lease fees moving forward. Again, if they feel that they have rights-based cabins, please identify that with us, and we are willing to work with them. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. One of my concerns is that all are a number of rights-based cabins. There are even people's houses within municipal boundaries who are being directed by their leadership to not pay the fees. I question why this is being dealt with in the Department of Lands. My question is: if we are going to have true nation-to-nation relationships and Indigenous governments are taking a position to not pay lease fees, is this not something that would be better suited and dealt with by Executive and Indigenous Affairs?

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It is a legal agreement. It is a document signed by people, so it is a legal document. If it is a rights-based cabin, we are asking people to identify that. If it is part of the process that they are working on with EIA, that is something that their leadership needs to work on with them. With Lands, we have a legal agreement with our residents of the Northwest Territories, and we need to follow this agreement. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. If someone comes forward and identifies that it is a rights-based cabin, do we then not charge them lease fees?

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.

Thank you. Right now, it is something that we are working through. We have actually made a commitment that we are putting it to the side right now. We are working through it. We want people to identify rights-based cabins. Then we put it aside, and then we will work on that later on, because we have other issues that we are trying to deal with. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It appears that was a no. I guess my question is: if someone comes forward and identifies a rights-based cabin, we are going to put it aside, but we are going to continue to charge them? I know a number of people have been receiving letters in the territory. Would the Minister be willing to, once something is identified as a rights-based cabin, remove the lease fees related to it?

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.

Thank you. I think I am going to get my assistant deputy minister to elaborate further on this because I guess I am not getting the message clearly out there. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Baetz.

Thank you, Mr. Baetz. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Also, people have to understand that there is a difference between land lease fees and taxation issues. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do understand that there is a difference between land lease fees and taxation. I guess my concern here is we have the Department of Lands acknowledging that there are rights-based cabins and then continuing to charge those people fees. I really don't think that this is the purview of the Department of Lands. I think this is a matter of Executive and Indigenous Affairs. One of the problems is we have seen land administration continue to be a colonial tool where we enforce these policies without looking at the larger picture, that Indigenous nations are saying, "No, these are rights-based, and we do not have to fall under the control of the Department of Lands." I would like to move on. We will continue this conversation. My question is: is the Minister of Lands willing to review the lease-only policy within municipal boundaries?

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Lands.

Thank you. Real simple: yes.

Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that "yes." I guess my next question is: when can we expect to see the public lands act in force? I am very happy that we are finally getting one type of land, public land, in the Northwest Territories, but when can we see those regulations developed and the public land act in force?