Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Premier again. I think this is a very significant step forward. Part of my concern here is that the Dehcho Land Use Plan has been in development for 19, count them, 19 years, and at first, the obstacle was the federal government because they owned the land, and the GNWT was at the table, but now the obstacle is our government. We own the land, and our government is the obstacle. I have heard this from people involved in the process. The concern is too much land being protected and so on. You have to give the communities the right to decide what...

Thanks, very much to the Premier for that. According to the Government of Canada webpage, it says that Edehzhie will be established as a national park area under the Canada Wildlife Act in 2020. That's this year. I think the permanent withdrawal is helpful, but what we really need is the transfer of the lands back to the federal government, or perhaps some other arrangement to prevent this from being undone in the future. Can the Premier tell us whether we're still on schedule for the establishment as Edehzhie as a National Wildlife Area, and what role this government intends to play?

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to provide an update on the state of the Bathurst caribou herd since we last sat in March. March 13, 2020, the Wek'eezhii Renewable Resources Board decided that the proposed 2020 wolf cull could proceed as a pilot project. The board will conduct a more rigorous review of the remaining four years of the proposed program beginning in August of this year. This revised proposal should also include "lesson learned" from the implementation of the 2020 management actions. The board said that "it is clear that communication in advance of the submission of...

I'm still a little confused here. Presumably, then, somebody coming in, even if they're a Canadian citizen, non-Canadian citizen, can camp out at the airport for 14 days, and then they've cleared self-isolation, and then they can travel anywhere in the Northwest Territories. Is that how this could work, Mr. Speaker? Thanks.

Merci, Monsieur le President. There is still some confusion about what happens when people from outside arrive into the Northwest Territories. There was a CBC report yesterday on their website, and I just want to quote one sentence here. It says, "If they don't meet one of the essential services exemptions, they will be told they need to apply for an exemption and self-isolate for 14 days."

I have some questions for the Minister of health on this, and I have talked to her about this and raised some of these concerns. I would like to know, Mr. Speaker, if non-Canadian citizens arrive into the...

I want to thank the Minister for that detailed response. I do commend his leadership in working with the Indigenous leaders on that issue.

As the Minister obviously knows, exploration and development in the range of the Bathurst caribou herd is probably at an all-time low, partly due to the pandemic. Now would seem to be a really good time to implement mobile caribou conservation measures that would provide temporary habitat protection. This work was called for in the Cabinet-approved Bathurst range plan. Can the Minister tell us about the status of the promised mobile caribou conservation...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on the Bathurst caribou emergency. Predator control can be a useful tool in recovery of the herd, but I would like to know from the Minister if he could tell us about the success of the wolf harvest incentive and the aerial shooting program, especially whether the targets were actually reached. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I want to thank the Premier again. I just would like to get a better understanding of why the establishment of Edehzhie is contingent upon the Dehcho Land Use Plan.

Merci, Monsieur le President. While we've been sitting here, I think one of the best news pieces I've had in the 19th Assembly arrived in my inbox. I want to commend the Premier for the leadership on this issue, and her Cabinet. We just got a news release about a permanent land withdrawal for the subsurface on the Edehzhie Protected Area. Thank you, and thanks to the Premier and Cabinet. This is a very significant move in terms of reconciliation, so I sincerely want to thank my Cabinet colleagues and the Premier for the leadership on this issue.

My question, Mr. Speaker: can the Premier provide...

Merci, Monsieur le President. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to follow up on a letter that I tabled in the House a couple of days ago regarding support for childcare. Has the Minister had an opportunity to review the letter from the Children First Society in Inuvik and the Yellowknife Daycare Association? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.