Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me restate once again that we do have the authority and we acted on it with very great care and, in our belief, a very measured way. The issue that the Member talks about, resource developments have gone through full environmental assessments, permitting and the regulatory process and have received their approval to operate. While there is some broader issue coming to light as people look at the affects of cumulative impacts that is yet to be dealt with. But all those projects went through a process that fully engaged all Northerners, all the aboriginal governments...

Mr. Speaker, flowing from the Northwest Territories Act, of course, is the Wildlife Act, which another piece of antiquated legislation is being redone but still the tool that we have. It gives us the authority when you put all the pieces together to make those decisions when it comes to responding to conservation issues. Every land claim recognizes that fact. There is a clause in there that entitles the Minister, under very clear, unique circumstances related to conservation emergencies and safety issues, to be able to act in the best interest of conservation. In this case, we have taken that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When you look at the act in its entirety, and I think section 16, as well, informs this particular issue. As well, there was an amendment made by an Order-in-Council change made in 1960, which added four species -- the barren land caribou, the muskox, polar bear and the bison -- to a list of being in danger of extinction, which was further translated to become operationalized through the Wildlife Act giving us that authority. Thank you.

I think the Member is over-generalizing. That, in fact, if you look, the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in, Sahtu and the Tlicho, the Metis, we have worked through our arrangements with any decisions on wildlife. Where there are settled claims, we have very solid, productive working relationships on very difficult circumstances. In the North Slave, with the Tlicho and the Metis, and we’re working on the Akaitcho. I think the Member, this is a case of where I believe our glass is about 80 percent or 90 percent full, and we’re working on the final 10 percent with the Yellowknives to come to an accommodation...

We have a clear priority and we have held to that and we have held to it consistently across the Northwest Territories. There’s no more outfitting. There’s no more commercial harvest. There’s no resident harvest. The only harvest that’s permitted is aboriginal harvest. We’ve indicated that in this one area there’s a need to preserve the herd, but we’ll make an accommodation and we’ll provide the resources to go access and put to use the right to harvest in a carefully controlled circumstance with the Bluenose-East and the Ahiak.

So, Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of our obligation in everything...

I understand that long distance service has been impacted but local service and cell phone service is still available. But, yes, I would be happy to talk to the Member. We’ll make sure he gets this information and we can help him forward his concerns to NorthwesTel. Thank you.

If the Member would send me enough of the information, I would forward it to the department, through the office of the chief information officer, to see what option we have to, in fact, help them further their concern about filing their concern with NorthwesTel. Thank you.

Cabinet was apprised. The discussion was had. As Minister with the authority to make that decision after that, I proceeded to in fact carry out with the actions that have happened since then.

Mr. Speaker, the normal course of events where co-management boards are in a place, that is fully functioning, that is the practice. Every agreement has a caveat or clause in there that, in case of emergency or situations related to conservation and safety, the Minister has the authority to act, to be used very carefully and judiciously but it is there. In the Tlicho, the Wekeezhii process is starting up. In the Akaitcho, there is no land claim, so we have a complex situation here. The Northwest Territories Metis don’t have a settled claim either.

So we have a very complex process here, a...

Mr. Speaker, of course, we agreed we are not limiting or restricting or taking away any aboriginal right to harvest. We are just indicating there is a conservation issue and we have to adjust where we hunt to protect the herd. We believe we have the full authority when there are conservation issues that are emergency in nature, which we consider the Bathurst herd to be where the precipitous drop in numbers indicate to us that, if something isn’t done, that herd will in all probability cease to exist. That is the rationale. We have the legislation and we believe we have made the right decision...