Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just have a quick question, probably more directed to the Minister of Transportation, I guess. With the Mackenzie gas project on the horizon and increased traffic both on the roads and in the air coming through the whole NWT -- that’s including Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River and everywhere else where there used to be a lot of 737 service in Norman Wells, Inuvik and beyond to Alaska, Fort Simpson, to Whitehorse and the Yukon, and Hay River south -- I’m just wondering why the federal government has no plan in place or doesn’t plan on upgrading or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I don’t know what would be better, a remissible loan or pay the tax on your grant. I’m not sure which, where the student would come out on top. The Minister said he has had some dialogue with the federal cohorts on this taxation issue. I’m just wondering what his department, as the Minister of Education for all our youth, aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike in the NWT, is doing to assist and help these treaty people to get a point across to the federal government that this is a treaty right and should be non-taxable. Whether it is a remissible loan, grant…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my question would be directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I just want to ask the Minister what his department will do or plans on doing, if anything, to protect the constitutional rights of the aboriginal treaty natives in the NWT…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, with reference to my Member's statement about bad hunting practices and meat wastage in the NWT:

How many infractions have taken place since the Akaitcho incident in 2002?

How many have resulted in official charges being laid or fines imposed?

What changes in the Wildlife Act will help to alleviate or deter this type of practice in the NWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d have to agree with the Minister that it is a vast territory and with the limited amount of officers we have, they each have a lot of area to cover. I notice that the migratory route is through this area of the barren land caribou and some years they don’t show up until late in season and some years they are close to town, other years they are quite a ways away. Because this doesn’t happen every year and it only happens for a couple of months out of the year, why doesn't the department, to ensure public safety, have a renewable resource officer or officers there...

With regret to similar situations, Mr. Speaker, which have taken place in the Akaitcho Territory in 2002 that included a DIAND official, the penalties imposed or lack thereof, this type of hunting practice will only worsen and does not reflect traditional values which we are all trying to teach our children.

When violators know that our justice system does not effectively deal with infractions and people know they can get away with this type of practice, it will only continue. If a judgment had been made that was deemed fair and just, and a message to the public was made that this practice was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I commend the Minister for making this a priority of the department to ensure that the public is always safe along that Ingraham Trail, especially with all the wildlife that is going through there right now. With regard to the renewable resource officer human resource capacity in that area, I know that we’re fairly limited with the amount of officers that we do have, but I know that this time of year is fairly slow in the whole renewable resource sector, I guess. People aren’t out on the water as often and people don’t go hunting until the ice usually forms and stuff...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is in reference to my statement earlier today to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Brendan Bell. In light of the recent developments along the Ingraham Trail with our discovery of more meat wastage by some hunters that are violating the Wildlife Act, I want to ask the Minister a simple question that if the department has taken steps or does plan on taking steps on increasing the presence of renewable resource officers along the Ingraham Trail to ensure public safety for residents who are living or hiking or hunting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to talk about an issue that was on CBC this morning that I feel will be coming up more regularly in the future and should be addressed by this government.

Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the government’s hunting and harvesting regulation and the penalties for meat wastage. I don’t believe the current penalties are sufficient and I would like to see more monitoring and policing of our highways and hunting areas by our renewable resource officers.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know what’s budgeted for fire suppression every year is in the tune of $7.4 million. I just wanted to ask the Minister if during years where we have damp seasons, very low fire conditions and we have dollars left over in our budget, if the department is going to consider or can consider putting that money into a revolving fund which can accumulate over several years instead of putting it back into general revenue so we don’t have to come out with any supplementary appropriations during years of extreme fire conditions. Thank you.