Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I have the great pleasure of having youth from Ulukhaktok who are in the territorial trials here and all over the Territory in badminton, soccer and hockey.
I have Zakkery Kudlak -- and if you could stand up and say hi to home -- Zakkery Kudlak, Nathan Pogotak, Frances Himiak, Cynthia Oliktoak, Gayle Ogina, Ronald Oliktoak, Adrian Kagyut, Johnathan Kuneyuna, Bradly Olifie, Troy Akoaksion, Brian Kimiksana, Patrick Joss, my good friend Patrick Joss, and everybody knows Pat. Welcome Patrick. Kirstin Ekpakonak, Brandon Okheena, Elliot Malgukak, Kassandra Ekpakonak, Rose Inuktalik, Erica Alanak, Chelsey Olifie and Adele Okheena. If I messed up a bit, I’m sorry on your names. I apologize. I’d like to also recognize my wife who was with me for this weekend and it’s always good to have my support, and she’ll be home tomorrow, Kids. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. Welcome everyone in the gallery today. I hope you’re enjoying the proceedings. It’s always good to have an audience in here.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of ENR. You know, many would applaud the decisive measures that the Minister took to protect the caribou and this was not an easy decision, I am sure of that. However, some people out there are unhappy with the decision and feel that people were not properly consulted and that, in fact, this is an infringement on treaty hunting rights. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister today if he, looking back at the situation, can see any opportunity where things could have been done differently that would not have us at this level of acrimony here today over this very valued resource, valued by everyone. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I’d like to point out that since 2005, and even earlier, since the signing of the land claims up and down the valley, the co-management boards have been working very successfully with the government to look after and make the right decisions with wildlife, including caribou, and even investing significant monies since 2005. We’re now dealing with the issue of rapid decline with the Bathurst herd in the North Slave. Ideally if the Wekeezhii process could have been able to meet its initial targets in October/November prior to this hunting season, we would not be in this situation given the precipitous drop in numbers to look at interim emergency measures. We are fully committed, of course, to the process going forward to look at the long-term Bathurst management plan that’s going to involve, Tlicho, Akaitcho, Northwest Territories Metis. It’s going to spill over and look at the Ahiak, the Bluenose-East, which involves the Sahtu as well as the Inuvialuit. That’s going to be a fairly complex undertaking. The key now is to get through this hunting season without putting any further pressure on this herd which is in a dire state. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Minister for putting this into a context and a perspective that it is in terms of the specific herd and the management board responsible for that herd. The Minister also indicates that this is an interim emergency measure, which would indicate that this is temporary. Can the Minister offer any explanation as to why these other management boards have been able to be so involved in the wildlife management and what is the holdup and the delay and the deferring of the Wekeezhii board’s work on the Bathurst caribou issue? Thank you.
There are a number of factors here. The Wekeezhii board is part of the Tlicho Government and it’s new. It’s getting up and running. This is going to be its first full test. The other co-management boards have been successfully in place now, in many cases, for decades and have worked out the bugs. They have a good working relationship. As well, the North Slave circumstance is very politically complex where you have not only the Tlicho but the Akaitcho, Northwest Territories Metis, two unsettled claim areas and requires that extra work. So there are all these factors that have been playing together, as well as the fact that the Wekeezhii process didn’t quite meet its targets requiring these interim emergency measures to protect the herd. Thank you.
I’d like to ask the Minister what steps is our government taking now to ensure that this board, this management board, does get up to the same level of capacity and ability to address the caribou in this region. I understand perhaps that the makeup of it is complex and the politics of it are a little bit different, but what can our government do to facilitate this board getting up to the same level of expertise, knowledge and capacity that the other management boards are?
The board, I believe, is working as fast and as fully applying themselves to this issue as they can. They are now looking at being able to be finished their work consultation and such and recommendations that can be considered both by the Tlicho and territorial government by I believe it’s now April or May. In the meantime, the support we’re giving is to do what they asked us to do back in July when they themselves identified the state of the Bathurst herd and the precipitous drop from 2006, 120,000 animals, to around 30,000 in 2009. The need to have these interim emergency measures to protect the herd to allow this process to go through its cycle and looking at being able to then make in a more measured, careful way the longer term decisions that are going to be required to be done through that consultative process all the Members have been talking about.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just one more point of clarification then. This temporary ban that is in place on this particular herd in this specific area, how long does the Minister anticipate that will be in place before the Wekeezhii Management Board will then put measures in place to protect this herd? Just so we put that in context as well, not saying that someone else being responsible for the management at this regional level is going to solve all the problems facing the caribou and the impacts that are causing them to decline, but just as far as this government’s role in having to step up and put this kind of a ban in place. How long will that be in effect?
Of course, our choice would be the shortest time possible, but we have tied the ban to come off as soon as we can get the report from the Wekeezhii board and be able to respond and engage as well, then, with the Tlicho Government, the Akaitcho and the Northwest Territories Metis to come up with a longer term plan. The targets for that report, their recommendations to be done are April or May, at this point.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow along with my Member’s statement today, which is my concern about the caribou issue in context of the relationship with the aboriginal peoples of the Northwest Territories.
In my Member’s statement I called for the Minister to show some immediate leadership to this issue, such as working together in a partnership context by calling a caribou summit. This would well be under the authority of the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources to call upon the Dene leadership, as well as the Wekeezhii board chair to get them there, and anyone else who would have a definite interest in this issue.
Would the Minister be willing to take that under advisement and perhaps maybe even some serious consideration that we can do something in a timely way, recognizing that the Wekeezhii board is not going to make some type of decision on this issue for at least three, four, possibly even five months from now?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First I’d like to point out that the government and the co-management boards and the aboriginal governments across the Northwest Territories have been showing leadership in this issue of declining caribou herds for quite a few years now. We were just in the Yukon, meeting with the various principals to look at the Porcupine herd, for example. They have been hard at work on a quota through co-management process and it’s been working with the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in, Sahtu. The Tlicho is not putting themselves into position to do that as well.
The Caribou Summit, as the Member has pointed out, was held in Inuvik and was very successful, but expensive. It was about a half million dollar exercise. What we recognize first is there’s a need. We have committed already to start working to bring the co-management chairs in with some delegates to look at the very many overlapping issues that are now before us in almost every herd that is now in the Northwest Territories in a state of decline.
The issue at hand here is that an emergency caribou summit should take place not just with the co-management but also with the affected Dene leadership and groups. That is the issue at hand. I’m not suggesting making the Caribou Summit, which I had the good fortune of attending three years ago, but ultimately the issue is let’s get people here immediately working together on a common solution or path. Would the Minister show some guidance to this issue of saying, I’ll do that right away and we’ll get on that right away and we’ll work together with these groups?
There are two distinct issues. There’s the issue of the longer term plan for the Bathurst herd as well as the related Ahiak and Bluenose-East herds. It’s going to take time and it’s going to require a considerable amount of work with the affected aboriginal governments and the territorial government and other stakeholders.
The other big most immediate issue is right now, at present, there are no conditions that would allow protection of the Bathurst herd, whose numbers have gone precipitously down from 120,000 to 30,000 animals. Without action that has been taken, there is a very significant, real chance that within a year or two with the hunting remaining unchanged, that the herd would disappear. We’re committed in the longer term to pull together the appropriate folks and appropriate venue to do that longer term planning. In the meantime we have to offer the herd protection until the Wekeezhii process is finished.
I appreciate being schooled in the long-term vision, but the reality is the short-term vision seems to be very nearsighted. The issue here is partnership trust. It’s a relationship that needs to be fostered continually. Therefore, I continue to ask the Minister quite clearly, could we pull a small group of the aboriginal leadership together? Could we work together with the chair of the management board and out of that could follow perhaps a positive direction on the short term, as we all know that the decision is going to be at least three, four, or five months away? How much more destruction on the relationships are we going to continue?
The issue is, when the Member speaks of destruction, making sure that we avoid the destruction of the Bathurst herd, we have, I believe, a very strong working relationship with the aboriginal governments and co-management boards across the land. We’ve successfully done a Water Strategy, we’ve collaboratively drafted and put in legislation the Species at Risk Act, and we’re doing the same with the Wildlife Act; very progressive and unique processes fully engaging the aboriginal governments. The Premier is engaged in a process with the regional leaders on a regular basis to bring them to the table. This issue in the North Slave, there is support from a whole host of areas. The Tlicho Government has supported us in our efforts, the Northwest Territories Metis has, most of the other folks have as well, the Northwest Territories North Slave Metis up here. So we have some issues to work out with the Yellowknives and we’re intent on doing that, but let’s keep this thing in perspective. We want to avoid the destruction of the Bathurst herd by making the right decisions.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The long-term vision won’t change with anyone. Everyone wants the caribou herd to survive. Everyone wants the caribou to be around forever. The decision may not change, but the fact is they would be party to the decision. They would be involved into the discussion of the decision and they would also feel responsible because they would be part of the outcome. That’s the type of discussion I’m talking about. I’m talking about getting rid of southern style of consultation by making sure that everyone’s involved in the outcome. That’s why I’m asking for an immediate caribou summit with the leadership. Would the Minister reconsider this?
I seriously consider everything the Member says. I know his heart is in the right place, his intentions are honourable and pure. Sometimes we have to look at the process, though, and how do we get to where we want to be, which is to protect the herd until these other longer term processes kick into gear. We are, I would suggest to you, probably one of the most consultative governments in this Dominion of Canada.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment questions on the playground in Fort Liard. The National Playground Code about six to eight years ago came into place. We assessed our schools and replaced what we could. In Fort Liard that remained undone. I’d like to ask the Minister why that one school playground equipment was not replaced.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. That particular school was brought to our attention just in December that their playground needs to possibly be replaced within a few months or a couple years. So those are the discussions that we continue to have with the Dehcho Board of Education, specifically with the superintendent, that has brought this to our attention. The focus is that we’re going through our budget planning process this period, but part of the planning process will be to put this into next year’s budget. Mahsi.
The parents and the teachers are very concerned in Fort Liard. They raised it with me in my December visit. They’re actually so concerned that they’re looking for ways to fundraise to replace the school ground equipment, but it’s our responsibility, Mr. Speaker. The need is immediate. I’d like to ask the Minister what can be done in this coming fiscal year. Can we release some resources so that we can begin the preliminary work or even remove some of this dangerous pressure-treated wood equipment? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, part of the planning process will be to work closely with PWS. It is the responsibly of that department to look at the infrastructure itself, if it needs to be taken out of the ground when it’s thawed out. Those are discussions that we need to continue having along with the Dehcho Education Council, with the superintendent, and keeping the board members informed of the progress being made and also the Member in that respective riding. So we’ll continue to make that progress as we go along. Mahsi.
I’m just trying to get a handle on will the playground equipment be removed this year. Probably the planning process to replace the playground in 2011 sounds good, but am I correct in understanding that they’re looking at removing the playground equipment this fiscal year? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, safety is our first priority so we will definitely look at the playground this summer. Whether to remove that due to safety precautions, we certainly need to discuss that further with PWS. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much. When will the discussions take place and how soon can I know, or even the school in Fort Liard know, about the plans for that playground? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the issue was brought to our attention in December and the discussion is ongoing. We can’t really do anything until it’s thawed. Definitely, we’ll keep the Member informed of our progress to date. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. From my Member’s statement today: Mr. Speaker, given that currently there are eight students in the Nunakput community of Sachs Harbour that have, for various reasons, left high school and moved back to Sachs Harbour -- reasons such as nowhere to live, not enough moral support or resources -- will this government immediately commit the funds and resources available for one high school teacher in Sachs Harbour for the term of about two and a half months left in the school year so they can at least earn some credits for their high school diploma? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, regarding the high school students, as I stated in the House on numerous occasions, we want every student to succeed. We do provide funding to district education councils and the DEA that falls under them that deals with these matters. I have to respect their decision, as well as the boarding homes’ and so forth. But it would be under the direction of the Beaufort-Delta to make those decisions based on the funding that we provide to them. We’ll continue to work with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council as we move forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Since the Minister is the Minister of Education, can the Minister direct the Beaufort-Delta education board and give them the $70,000 or whatever amount is required? Can he give them the money and the funding to get a teacher in the community for the next two and a half months?
As I’ve indicated, we’ve already allocated funds for the operation this school year. I can’t, as a Minister, stand up and say, hire a teacher in the community. I have to respect their decision. We have empowered the board of education to make those types of important decisions, because they are the experts at the community level. They’re currently, I believe, dealing with this matter. I believe MLA Jacobson has already met with the board or will be meeting with the board. So this discussion is ongoing and we will continue to monitor that. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I met with one of the representatives from the education board in Inuvik. They told me that they would get back to me. I didn’t meet with the board, but they already got back to me via phone and said they cannot support this position because of the funding and the community of Sachs Harbour has the student/teacher ratio already and are not required to provide a teacher. But, Mr. Speaker, there are eight students here in a community that needs a teacher for two and a half months. Will this government commit spending the money to service these eight students? They’d do it for the South Slave. Why can’t they do it for Nunakput? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gets very complicated where we’ve allocated funds based on where the students are enrolled. So we do provide the funding. We do provide the service to those eight students the Member is referring to. It’s just a matter of choice that the students are back in the community. Again, the decision lies with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council to make that decision, and the district education authority. If they are exploring options of extending high schools, those are discussions that need to take place as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I need the Minister to commit the money I need for the eight students in the community of Sachs Harbour. Like I said earlier, he is the Minister. He could try to find the funding to make this possible. You have eight students here who are not getting an education. That’s not right. If he’s not going to do it today, I am going to come back for the next 20 days of sitting and I’ll ask him in his office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
