Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have offered some suggestions and alternatives to the Yellowknives. We’ve also taken the liberty of doing a survey through the Chief Drygeese territory to see what animals, what caribou may be available outside of the no-hunting zone. That work has been done. We are committed, when they get to us, to see where we can go and try to find that common ground. Thank you.

We should be clear: there is a distinct difference. The compressed circumstances arising around this emergency situation. But over the normal course of events we have a full consultation process as a government, as ENR. I would just point all the way up north and work our way down the valley with the Inuvialuit, with the Gwich’in, with the Sahtu, the Tlicho process is underway. We have spent millions when it comes to consulting and involving all the aboriginal governments with water, with the Species at Risk Act. We’re doing the same with the Wildlife Act. On a regular, ongoing basis, with all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the issue of the Interim Emergency Measures, it was a very compressed time frame and efforts were made -- every effort, I would suggest -- to try to make sure we consulted with the aboriginal governments, both Tlicho and the Yellowknives as well as the folks around the lake that were users of the herd.

Mr. Speaker, everything I have seen indicates to me that there is no amount of sustainable harvest on the Bathurst that will allow the herd to survive at this point. We have made other arrangements. We have had and do have offers to help hunt outside the no-hunting zone. There are a couple of herds that, for this year at least, can sustain some extra harvest, the Bluenose-East and the Ahiak. Our hierarchy is set up. When there are restrictions, we start with removing the commercial harvest, the outfitters, the resident tags, and we work very hard and long to protect the aboriginal harvest...

There were some clear signals given when the outfitters’ tags were initially reduced. The signals got worse as the census information came in. Once again, I’ll point out the complexities and challenges in this part of the Northwest Territories where you have the Tlicho Government with their Wekeezhii process and unsettled claims areas sharing and harvesting from the same herd along with other stakeholders from the south. There was no clear consensus and plan. We’re now past the point of being able to take a long, thoughtful look at this. There was a requirement for action to protect the herd...

Our offer has been there from the start to assist the Yellowknives to ensure that they have an opportunity to exercise their right to harvest in areas outside the zone so that we can continue to protect the Bathurst herd during this very critical year. There is other work underway. We’re waiting to have some feedback from them, but we are committed to trying to resolve that issue with the Yellowknives. Thank you.

Tonight, at the rise of the House, I think at seven o’clock, there’s a big public meeting over at the Explorer in the Katimavik Room, sponsored by the Dene Nation. That will be our next event as it relates to caribou. We have our folks on the lines with the Yellowknives or trying to get hold of the Yellowknives to see what their thoughts are on the offers that are on the table. Thank you.

We did get it right. We made, I believe, the necessary decision to protect the Bathurst caribou herd during this time when they are in great need of our support. They need to be able to recover and we need to come up with a longer term plan. So we did come up and make the right decision. We are committed to continuing to work with the Yellowknives on accommodation and that process is still underway. Thank you.

Thank you. Clearly that document from 1960 that lists the barren land caribou and muskox, polar bear and bison, is one of the documents that enable us to do the work that we are doing. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have been so preoccupied with caribou that I forgot to recognize my own mayor sitting in the gallery and her son. I have to keep in mind not to miss some other things as well. Yes, I believe that we, because of the continued goodwill between all the parties and the recognition that we want to resolve this, have an opportunity to sort out the immediate issues surrounding the ban as well as engaging the much broader longer term, more important process that is going to flow out of the Wekeezhii process. It will eventually result in a caribou management plan that will include the...