Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Committee on April 3rd, 2012
Evidence of meeting #32 for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was first.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Clarence T. Jules Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
NDP
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Chris Warkentin
Okay, well, the last time I gave somebody a minute, it went on for five minutes. I'm speaking about Mr. Bevington. Last time I gave him, it went over to 8 minutes and 43 seconds.
So Mr. Seeback, I'll turn it over to you.
April 3rd, 2012 / 4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's great to have you here. This is very interesting to me.
So if I were to try to summarize what I'm hearing, this is just going to give another option for first nations with respect to land management. You'd have almost a spectrum. You're going to have 53/60 for some. Then you're going to have some people who will say FNLMA, and then with this legislation there is now going to be an additional option, which is conversion of certain parts of reserve lands to fee simple.
Would that be accurate?
4:45 p.m.
Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
Well what we're contemplating is that the entire land base would be under FNPO, because otherwise it would lead to the leasing that was mentioned earlier. So it would all be under FNPO. There isn't going to be a choice of bits and pieces.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
The whole land base....
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
—then the entire reserve land base is going to be registered under fee simple.
4:45 p.m.
Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
That's right. Transferred.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
Transferred under fee simple.
I was reading one comment for my own explanation. It was in some of the notes that we all get. It talked about a reversionary right remaining with the first nation. Do you have any idea what that means?
4:45 p.m.
Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
A reversionary right.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
4:45 p.m.
Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
Well there's a right of resumption that the provinces have over lands and they keep that so they can take lands for public purposes.
A reversionary interest that bands would have over lands.... You know, that would be akin to a right of expropriation, I would guess.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Kyle Seeback Brampton West, ON
Just in some of the notes that we get from the library it says, “Regardless of who holds the fee simple interest, the underlying title or reversionary right is intended to remain with the First Nation.”
4:45 p.m.
Chief Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Tax Commission
Yes. That simply means that the title will always be vested in the first nation, no matter who has an interest in it.