Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our natural environment has been taking a beating lately. Unprecedented wildfires, debilitating drought, these changes in our climate have yielded increased costs of firefighting and electricity, lost homes and loss of income because of tourism impacts.

A particularly tragic loss is the additional blow to already severely depleted caribou populations from the extensive loss of their winter habitat. The collapse of one of our most valuable and culturally important resources, our once strong and life-sustaining Bathurst and Bluenose-East caribou herds, may be one of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome to the House to the Minister and staff here for this review of Health and Social Services.

The first thing I am interested in is what the status is of our telehealth and associated technologies, radiology, perhaps there is a pharmaceutical aspect to it and so on, across our 32 communities with respect to helping with both emergencies and managing medical travel. I know the Minister is aware that that is a steep source of the demand on our resources and much of that is unnecessary and there is potential for dealing with that. I think there is a good strategy in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table three instruments of the voice of the people. The first one is the Dene Leadership Meeting Motion No. 11/12-008 from their meeting on October 25-27, 2011, in Fort Smith. It’s on hydraulic fracturing. It calls for a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

I’d also like to table Gwich’in Tribal Council 31st General Assembly Resolution No. 006:2014 AGA, entitled “Anti-Fracking,” from August 19th to 21st of this year.

I’d also like to table, finally, the Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated 2014 Annual General Meeting Resolution No. 1 on fracking, which calls for a...

Thank you. It seems that every question I ask these days, the answer is: It’s a complex situation; we’ve got great intentions. If that was true, we wouldn’t have the services deficits that we have, we wouldn’t be in the fiscal situation we are, we wouldn’t have the wildlife deficits that we have. Community hunts are still being contemplated as we speak and reported in the paper. Plans are being made for winter kills as soon as the ice is safe.

Given the drastic declines, what action has been taken to alert people of the horrible consequences of such activity?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for Minister Miltenberger of Environment and Natural Resources. I just gave a Member’s statement speaking about a horror of a world without caribou. The sliding caribou populations are scary and worrying. Rather than slowing down, unfortunately, it’s actually accelerating, echoing the loss of wildlife worldwide.

I’d like to start by asking the Minister what actions has he taken to reverse this trend, since the most recent counts pointed out the grave dangers posed to both the Bathurst and Bluenose-East herds. Mahsi.

I ask the Minister to call everyone to the table to find a solution to a loss that will now affect generations to come. First Nations, long-time Northerners, those who hunt for food and scientists all have important perspectives to offer and a stake in finding a path that will allow our caribou to bounce back and eventually thrive.

But first, stop shooting caribou from these decimated and declining herds. A world without caribou is too horrible to contemplate. Mahsi.

 I give notice that on Monday, October 27, 2014, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that  the government develop a long-term action plan for the provision of the necessary long-term care beds, indicating the steps they will take  in the areas of resources, facilities and timing to meet this urgent need for facilities for seniors, including possible partnerships to serve those seniors who have some financial independence, in both large and small communities;

And further, that the government provide Avens Society with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s the other feedback I get all the time, is the best offence is a defence, or the best defence is an offence. That’s the Minister’s strategy now.

I’m not worried about being politically correct here. I’m worried about the caribou and the consequences of their disappearance to generations of First Nations and other resident families to whom the caribou are critically important.

The Minister and co-management boards have had several years to effect conservation. Instead, the caribou are going down the tubes. The Minister has the authority. We have invested the...

Thanks to the Minister. The Minister has indicated the severity of the drop of caribou and the obvious possibility of the loss of these herds. Yet he’s also said it’s still open, go out and shoot, you can shoot 300 here and 150 there and however many you want with the Bluenose-East. That’s pretty unbelievable. I read in the paper, community hunts, they’re out there trying to find these caribou and the only reason they’re not shooting is because they can’t find them. There is a major gap here. Obviously, we must support these populations to enable recovery, and it seems the one thing we can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize a member of the Weledeh community who we all know as Tony. I think he’s been well-recognized in the House today. You know, it’s great to hear all the words of renown for this gentleman. Welcome, Tony, to the House.

I’d also like to recognize SADD and the students and their supporters and the very important work that they do.

Finally, the incredible amount of time that Ms. Morgan contributes to Weledeh, and with the assistance and stuff that she does, it’s also great.

---Laughter