Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I have some questions for the Minister in regards to the draft Wildlife Act. One of the clauses of the draft act speaks to the power of the Minister to establish conservation areas. The Minister knows from both me and from submissions made by various organizations that this is a concern and particularly for mining industries and companies. As a government, I believe the GNWT states that we want both economic development and the preservation of the environment, so I’d like to ask the Minister what percentage of land does the GNWT intend to keep open and accessible for economic development. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That particular clause that the Member references has been amended so that any plan to make any areas conservation areas or to withdraw any land will be decided on by Cabinet. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. I didn’t hear the answer to the question there. I’d like to know if the GNWT has a policy or has any kind of an idea in their mind... Does GNWT, as a government or as a Cabinet, have a percentage of land that they intend to keep open and accessible for economic development? Thank you.
Thank you. That’s not really specific or germane to the Wildlife Act. It is a discussion that we’ve had when we’ve talked about land use for example with the Dehcho Land Use Plan and other areas. As we look at finalizing our land use framework, we will be dealing more precisely with that particular issue. Thank you.
Thank you. I’d like to say to the Minister that I guess we have to agree to disagree, because I think the Wildlife Act is impacted through conservation areas on economic development, and particularly mining exploration and mining operations. I have heard that organizations in discussion with this government have been advised that some 45 percent of our lands will be kept open for economic development. In my mind, that’s far too large a number and I’d like to know from the Minister if that’s accurate. Thank you.
Thank you. The Member and I will have to agree to disagree. The issue of land quantum of what’s going to be available for economic development is not part of the Wildlife Act, which is designed to look at wildlife management and wildlife issues. That issue will be dealt with and is being dealt with as we look at some of the broader discussion areas like the land use framework that we’re talking about and as we sit down on a region-by-region basis once again in areas like the Deh Cho or the Sahtu and the Gwich’in where land use plans are being worked on. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m struggling with the Minister’s evasion of my question and he’s taking it quite literally that I’m talking only about the Wildlife Act. I’m asking what percentage of lands within the total area of the NWT is liable to be open and accessible for economic development. If some 50 percent or 45 or 55 percent of our lands are being withheld for conservation or environmental protection or whatever, Protected Areas Strategy, what effect does the Minister feel this is going to have on our ability to be a growing and economically vibrant Territory?
Thank you. That’s the challenge for all of us as we look at protecting the environment, the land, the water and the animals and balancing that with the resource development and economic development. When you talk about making land available for resource development, there is a number of different levels to that. There is land that’s taken up by communities. There’s land taken up for resource development. There are lands taken up for other reasons. So we’re going to make sure that we strive for that balance, and in some of the regions like the Deh Cho, there are figures being used in terms of the land quantum.
The Member indicates she’s been talking to a number of folks who have given her numbers. Well, as a government we don’t have a territorial-wide number that we’re saying has to be kept free for resource development or a particular number of land and land quantum that has to be put aside. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
