Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am assuming most Members are aware when we were in Copenhagen the Premier and I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Ms. Southern from ATCO about the Taltson expansion. Mr. Krutko and Mr. Abernethy, while they weren’t at the meetings, were clearly aware that we were having those discussions. So we’ve had some discussions with Ms. Southern on this issue. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we worked with the Yellowknives to look at the issue of...because there wasn’t going to be the report, the Wekeezhii report, or any other plan for the harvest restrictions which we announced back in late September were going to needed because of the draconian drop in numbers, that we would need to be put those restrictions in place. We have worked with them. The issue of the ban, the focus has been the need for the ban and what mitigating measures and accommodating measures we can put in place to offset the lack of access to this specific area recognizing that there was still an...

There are two key things that are available. We’ve made the offer in the Tlicho and with the Akaitcho and the Yellowknives to work with them to go to access some of the caribou in a controlled way, the Ahiak and the Bluenose-East, that we would work with them and assist them to do that, recognizing that these herds are under stress themselves, but we think we’re able to be able to manage that kind of harvest. We’ve also adjusted the bison tags so that both the Tlicho and the Akaitcho have access to a greater number of bison tags over the interim period. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to be briefing committee at the rise of the House and we have a lot of detail to share with the Members. But I think the big key point is I don’t think there is one particular reason you can point to. There is the human impact, there is the climate change, resource development, increased roads, accessibility, permafrost, insects, changing rain in the middle of winter. There’s any number of issues. I think one of the big points is that the human impact is probably going to be more significant than ever before in the past where there’s been the cycles and this...

Mr. Speaker, for the last four years Environment and Natural Resources has been working with wildlife co-management boards, aboriginal governments and organizations, communities and user groups, to share information on declining barren-ground caribou herds and develop and implement conservation measures. These have been very difficult decisions but there has been a willingness to work together so that this valuable resource can be sustained for future generations.

As Members are aware, the GNWT, through the NWT Act, has a responsibility to manage game in the NWT. In implementing conservation...

Our whole initiative is predicated and has been initiated by the recognition that we have a wildlife emergency and it’s a conservation issue that has to be addressed over this hunting period. That recognition and acknowledgement are keeping in mind the respect and can lead to respect the aboriginal rights and treaty rights and rights to hunt. But our fundamental obligation is to look after the wildlife; in this case, the Bathurst herd. Those two are linked and our rationale is that there was a gap here. There is an emergency. The hunting season had to be addressed. We took these very measured...

The Member is correct; the harvesting, the more the numbers dropped, the greater the impact of the harvesting, especially if harvesting levels stay the same as when the herd was healthy. In a state of decline, if we don’t affect those numbers, the impact is significant.

This whole process, Mr. Speaker, keeping in mind your caution about short answers, initially it was going to be worked through the Wekeezhii process, with our report to them with our recommendations, ourselves and the Tlicho Government. The dates that the Wekeezhii Board were able to do things moved, and as we got into December...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that I will deliver the budget address on Thursday, January 28, 2010. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, everything we do that takes us from where we are to greater reductions is a step forward. It may not be as great as some people would like, but we have made significant strides. I’ll point again to the $60 million we’re committing to alternative energy. We did a presentation where the Public Works folks laid out a long list of government facilities across the land that are going to be converted to biomass, with the thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions. We’ve committed, as well, and I have done it now with the last two questions, that we’re going to be looking at...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would argue that as a government and as a Legislature we are leading by example with the $60 million Alternative Energy Program that we’ve committed to, with the work with biomass and hydro and wind. And we, as well, through our Joint Climate Change Committee, already agreed and will be bringing back the current Greenhouse Gas Strategy for review in anticipation of looking at the next iteration of that document with an eye towards internal targets, as well as we’re going to double-check the legal authority we do have for any kind of decisions that could possibly be...