Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would say that we had a good meeting at lunch with the chief and the Metis president and some councillors and the Member himself. We’ve agreed to a number of steps. We had a good meeting where we came to an agreement. It’s a difficult, sensitive issue. There’s a letter being drafted that I’m going to sign off that’s going to be given to the chief and the Metis president so that they can, when they return home tonight to their communities, they can let the people know in fact what has transpired. At this point, Mr. Speaker, without making this more...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What we are doing is we’re doing a comprehensive review, as I have indicated in this House, on the whole issue of ambulance services, and that document is going to Cabinet here in the next few weeks then at which point we’ll be looking for feedback from the Members. We’re interested in trying to look at rationalizing and improving the service and better coordinating it to deal with issues like liabilities, standards, training, so that as northerners we have a common sense and understanding of what can be expected in communities in this particular area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not familiar with the particulars of the case, but as we raise these questions in the House, my staff up in the office is making notes and will be following up on the particulars so that I can address those issues with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we shared with the Members the nine pages of interim measures that laid out in great detail the consultation that we have undertaken with the co-management boards up and down the valley. We’ve met with the barren-land outfitters, the Metis from the South Slave, the Yellowknives, as many other people as we can. But we’ve been working very, very closely and we have done due diligence when it comes to consultation and we are going to continue to do that. There’s been, for the most part, significant support and recognition that there is an issue and a problem...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that Bill 16, Tobacco Control Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have the caribou strategy, which is a longer-term document. We have the interim measures, which as well speaks to some immediate actions that we’re going to take. We already have committed and we have the resources to do the counts of the animals this coming spring/summer. As well, we’re going to look at wolf predation and we will gather again in the fall when the information is in and we will see what other options possibly have to be looked at, once we know the numbers and if they’ve been verified or they’ve changed. I indicated when we started this process that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We believe we have laid out a reasonable approach. We’re going to work to implement it, lay out all the detail that we will transmit to the public and to the Members and that’s the approach that we’re going to take. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I listen very carefully to all the Members’ questions and I try to respond in a clear decisive way. He asked some questions, I did answer them. He may not like the answers, but that’s different than not answering the question and I believe I’ve been very clear. If in this process we’re going to be cognizant that there are some new guidelines coming into place, some new measures and there may be a learning curve and some time to make sure that everybody is up to speed and aware of the circumstances, and we’re going to have that in mind as we implement...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was agreed that we would continue with the process and it was agreed, as well, that, as the Member indicated, there was one area that was of concern and that is if an animal has been found to be diseased it was agreed that there would be a specific site now used where the bodies of the animals would be taken to and burnt as per the requirements under the legislation and policy. So that was agreed to and it was recognized that we wanted to provide that certainty so that the community was aware and we all had the same basic understanding of how that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then with that understanding and feedback from the Member, I would be happy to inform the House that at the meeting at lunch we agreed that firstly that the project to depopulate the herd would continue and it’s still under quarantine and considered infected, and in fact they found another infected animal yesterday, I believe. We’ve committed to meet again on the 23rd in Yellowknife with the Metis president and the chief and the Member to talk about the issue of what may be appropriate for compensation. We’ve agreed with the community that we would negotiate with the...