Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The herd is in such significant decline that the information, all the science tells us that it cannot sustain any further harvest; that if we have any harvest, there’s a good chance that it will cease to exist as a herd within the next couple of years. We, as well, recognize treaty rights and rights to harvest, and we have come up with funds and resources and an opportunity to work with the Tlicho and the Yellowknives and the Akaitcho, that they can harvest outside. The Bluenose-East and the Ahiak can sustain some controlled harvest that will allow us to make sure that...
Thank you. The Wekeezhii process is one key piece, but when that work is done, the Tlicho Government and the territorial government will work with the Wekeezhii board. But we also have to work with the Akaitcho and the Yellowknives and the Northwest Territories Metis, because we need to have one strategy for dealing with the Bathurst herd because it overlaps into more than one jurisdiction. The board is doing the work that they know is necessary. They’re taking the steps to get themselves up and running, and our job, in the meantime, is to do the right thing and help the Bathurst herd. Thank...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Wekeezhii board was set up as a result of the self-government agreement with the Tlicho. They have their mandate, they have their process, they have set out the timelines and we are working with the board. They know the pressing issue at hand. We have been in correspondence for many, many months and they are doing everything that they can to get their process working. In the meantime, recognizing the emergency with the Bathurst herd, the government has come to their assistance as they get themselves up and running to put the ban in place to protect the herd while...
We have an arrangement with partners already, which is compromised of ourselves, the Northwest Territories Metis and Akaitcho. We also recognize and they’re working on the partnership, they are working on the generation part of the project. But we also recognize, as I pointed out in my statement, that even with some federal assistance, we are not going to be able to proceed with this project unless we get outside help. We need a partner. So we’ve had some initial discussions recognizing that fact, recognizing that we have about eight months to get ourselves sorted out and we are going to focus...
Mr. Speaker, this, the third budget of the 16th Legislative Assembly, demonstrates the determined progress this Assembly has made in achieving its vision, even in the face of the economic uncertainty we’ve experienced over the last 18 months.
The initiatives we have pursued are on track to form a positive lasting legacy for the Northwest Territories in spite of the economic uncertainty. This budget continues to invest in this initiative and in others that will complement and build on our progress to date. I would like to thank my Cabinet colleagues, the standing committees and all other groups...
I’ll indicate two things. First, these discussions are at the very preliminary stage and there is no link between these two. We are looking at trying to make sure the Taltson project is able to go ahead and if we don’t within the next six to eight months come up with a way to make that happen, the Taltson project, for all intents and purposes, at least for the life of this Assembly and probably for at least three years or more will be put on a shelf. So there is no link. The issue is trying to make sure that we can move ahead on the Taltson. Thank you.
I would be interested in the Member’s definition of a revolutionary approach before I could answer fully that specific question, but I can indicate to the Member that we have already started the discussions and the planning to bring together the chairs of the co-management boards and representatives where there are no co-management boards to look at the overlap areas, to look at, as we pointed out yesterday in our presentation, the decline of herds all across the Northwest Territories and how do we come to an understanding similar to what’s being attempted with the Porcupine Caribou herd, some...
The enabling authority would come under the Northwest Territories Act. Two sections come to mind, 16 and 18 with subsequent amendments to 18, as well as the Wildlife Act which flows under the Northwest Territories Act. Thank you.
We have committed and are working with the Tlicho and we are prepared to work with the Yellowknives to make sure that they have access to subsistence hunting. We have not said you can’t hunt caribou. We have not said that we are taking away that right to hunt. What we are saying in this very broad area is that there is a herd in the middle, the Bathurst herd, which its numbers have diminished so dramatically that they cannot stand harvesting or they will cease to exist. There are other opportunities. We are working with communities to say we can continue to have subsistence harvest in those...
Mr. Speaker, the ban will protect the herd. There is opportunity to harvest outside the banned area that will allow the subsistence hunting, to allow communities to have access to caribou. I would point out that in the whole North Slave region there is the area where there is the ban, everywhere else there’s hunting only for aboriginal people. The focus is to protect and to keep the survival of the herd. We recognize and we can accommodate the issue of the hunting and access with the arrangements and resources that we have offered up. There have been, and continue to be, extensive meetings...