Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

That would be a question best posed in due course to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. We have assistance to communities for water and waste treatment. We have subsidy programs. At the same time, we also do have standards. They aren’t just all guidelines. We have Health departments involved. We have concern as a government. We want to be involved basically from the headwaters, which is why we’re negotiating transboundary water agreements to the tap so when people turn on the tap, they can do so in comfort and confidence that the water meets the best Canadian standards. So that...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled Public Accounts 2011-2012, Section I and Section II. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

I want to assure the Member again that I am very aware that I am a Minister for the territorial government representing all Northerners and we are charged with representing everybody. In this case, we have been working to do that, recognizing the circumstances.

I’d point out, in the South Slave, for example, we are taking the steps to reinstitute the bison harvest for non-Aboriginal people and we have other species where there are still tags available for moose and such. So when conservation issues come to bear and become a priority, we take the decisions necessary, hard as though they may be...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

The intent is to use the fastest means we have available, electronically probably, to get the information disseminated. Like I indicated, we’re sending out the work today with a plan to sit down I think mid-week or so next week to have a meeting with the SWAAG folks. So those are the timelines, keeping our eye on the calendar where we want to introduce this for first and second reading early in March so we can get it into the legislative process for committee before this session is concluded. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

I should also just reiterate that we also committed in this House, I think last week, to take a look at the milk cartons as well. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We, the government, myself as Minister, my obligation is to all Northerners, recognizing our unique circumstances, structures and processes, which is why we have initiated the process to go to the boards to ask and suggest that there is now enough numbers that we know, and that there’s a need to reconsider and relook at the other restricted harvests, the resident harvests as a first step. I’ve indicated if the discussions are such that it leads to not only the resident harvest, but the suggestion that we can sustain at least for the outfitters in that area, that we’d...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

The Greenhouse Gas Strategy is a broad framework strategy and I’d point out that we have invested millions in developing biomass first, the market, and now the industry. We are breaking good new ground on how we do solar. We’re looking at some major, major hydro initiatives with transmission, generation over the next five to 10 years that we want to finalize and come out with.

If you put all of those together, those are part of the Greenhouse Gas Strategy. The Greenhouse Gas Strategy is not sitting out there separate by itself. We’ve done all of these subsidiary strategies that allow us to meet...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

We are intending to go back this spring to see if we can harden up the estimates of the Bluenose-East. At this point we have to work with the processes that are there. We have to err on the side of not overdoing the harvest.

The folks, the various boards and ourselves will look at all of the information that we currently have. In fact, we are going back in the spring to try and harden up those numbers. Collectively, we’ll work with the various boards to come up with their best recommendations and we’ll look at that. We can’t just manufacture herd numbers. They are what the science tells us, the...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

I don’t have that specific level of detail, but we are active, we have a full contingent at the Sahtu Land Use Planning Process, full contingent with the Deh Cho as we get back to that one, and we are fully engaged with our own staff, as well, concluding the land use and sustainability framework. We have a significant amount of time and our people and resources tied up, as well, on the water side, which is tied into land use planning, as well, I would submit.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 8)

These are public boards. We have our officials involved with the boards, as well as we provide, with the Wek’eezhii especially, advice and recommendations, along with the Tlicho Government, to the boards on various matters of interest before the board.

I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to sit here today and pick a number out of the air and do wildlife management, caribou management in the bounds of this Assembly. I appreciate the Member’s intent, and we are looking at what’s possible given the numbers that we do think are there, even though we could not conclude all the work that we...