Good morning, colleagues. Welcome back to the Chamber. It’s nice to see all the green in the House today.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today we are wearing green to celebrate a milestone in northern history that will take place in Whistler, British Columbia, when Brendan Green of Hay River becomes the first Northwest Territories resident to compete in the Olympic Games since 1984 when Sharon and Shirley Firth competed in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
---Applause
In about two and a half hours, Brendan and his teammates will compete in the men’s 4 by 7.5 kilometre biathlon relay at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games starting at 12:30 p.m. The race is scheduled to be broadcasted on TSN, and will attract millions of viewers worldwide.
On behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories, I would like to congratulate Brendan on this monumental accomplishment and I would like to recognize the hard work and dedication he has shown to achieve this incredible goal.
Mr. Speaker, high performance athletes often train six to ten hours a day. They must adhere to a rigid schedule of competing and training year round if they hope to be the best in their sport. This type of commitment is expensive, given the travel, equipment and training that’s required for this level of sport.
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and our partner, the Sport North Federation,
have been strong supporters of Brendan and other NWT elite athletes through the High Performance Athlete Grant Program.
The program, which provides up to $15,000 annually to high performance athletes to help offset training and travel costs, has supported Brendan for the past five years to help him compete at the Winter Olympics this very day.
Mr. Speaker, to quote Brendan Green in a statement he made recently: “The North is full of potential for athletes. Growing up in rural town is not an obstacle for athletes, but an asset. You develop an extended family of community members, coaches and volunteers which support your training and achievements. That kind of support and encouragement is not available to athletes from big cities.”
Mr. Speaker, we are all extremely proud of Brendan and his accomplishments and the many others who strive for excellence to reach their dreams. I invite my colleagues to join me in wishing Brendan the best of luck today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, tourism is a vital industry here in the Northwest Territories. It is our largest renewable industry, a $130 million sector that hosted 73,000 visitors in 2008-2009. It is also an industry that casts a wide net economically, as all our regions benefit from tourism activity.
Because of the importance and the potential of our tourism industry, it is critical that we market the Northwest Territories outstanding range of tourism products and that we consistently develop effective plans to do so.
Mr. Speaker, with that goal in mind, I’m extremely pleased with the results of Northwest Territories Tourism 2010-11 Marketing Plan, which will be tabled in the House today.
Northwest Territories Tourism was supported in its work by the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee, which is made up of 10 members from the tourism industry and two government representatives. The committee provides strategic direction each year to Northwest Territories Tourism on development of the marketing plan and the committee and Northwest Territories’ Tourism have an excellent relationship based on constructive dialogue and mutual respect.
I believe the 2010-11 Marketing Plan is an excellent one and it has benefited not only from the guidance of the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee, but also from direct advice from our industry sectors.
Mr. Speaker, there is much our Territory has to offer the world when it comes to tourism experiences. For example, our Territory is known for its world-class sport fishing, aurora viewing, road touring, outdoor adventure and hunting. And as the marketing plan points out, the Northwest Territories is increasingly seen as a unique location for hosting small and medium-size meetings and conventions.
But the tourism industry is an extremely competitive one and we need to continually position ourselves as a travel destination of choice. The Northwest Territories Tourism 2010-11 Marketing Plan will help us accomplish this. The plan is about building on our achievements to realize our growth potential. It outlines the priorities for increasing tourism revenues within the Northwest Territories. It also identifies emerging markets, such as Mexico, Australia and South Korea, that could help our tourism industry grow. These initiatives and this information are important if we are to increase the size and scope of the tourism sector in every region of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, a prosperous tourism industry builds on what the Northwest Territories has to offer: a beautiful landscape, rich cultures and a willingness to share both of these with the world. It will contribute towards a Territory with a diversified and healthy economy that provides all regions and communities with choices as envisioned by the 16th Legislative Assembly through Northerners Working Together. That is why we must continue to focus on developing tourism here in the Northwest Territories. This marketing plan will go a long way toward helping the Government of the Northwest Territories to achieve this goal.
In closing, I would like to thank Northwest Territories Tourism and the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee for the leadership and vision they have shown in developing this marketing plan. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, the ability to read and use information is a basic skill necessary for students to reach their full potential in school and later in life. Research indicates that the main reason students do poorly in school is a lack of literacy skills. This can prevent them from understanding reading material in other subject areas. This is why increasing literacy levels in the Northwest Territories is one of the top priorities of the department.
There are literacy initiatives in schools across the Northwest Territories and this year Education, Culture and Employment staff are reviewing them to see what best practices might be used to increase literacy in all Northwest Territories schools. I want to draw the attention of the House to one such initiative in the South Slave region, recently highlighted in the Slave River Journal, that is making a difference for students and teachers. In 2007, the South Slave Divisional Education Council took action to increase reading levels in their schools and they developed the Leadership for Literacy program.
A key element of Leadership for Literacy is to focus on professional development opportunities for teachers and school staff. Full-time literacy coaches are in each South Slave school, helping train teachers in well-researched and proven strategies to increase literacy levels among their students. In addition to having literacy coaches in the schools, the strategy involves regularly assessing each student’s strengths and challenges so that instruction can be tailored to the needs of individual students.
I had the chance to see this program in action when I visited the South Slave in January and I was very impressed. Since the beginning of the Leadership for Literacy program, more students in the South Slave region are reading at, or above, grade level. In fact, 39 percent of the students who were assessed in both 2008 and 2009 showed significant improvement. In Lutselk’e we are seeing some of the best growth in reading levels in Canada, with nearly 10 percent of students in the community improving their reading ability by more than one grade level per year since 2007.
Much of this success is credited to the hard work and dedication of teachers and school staff who work tirelessly incorporating the new techniques they’ve learned in the classroom.
I want to close by thanking the South Slave Divisional Education Council and the teachers and literacy coaches in the region for the good work they are doing to improve literacy levels in their region. I will keep you informed of this and other school literacy initiatives in the coming months. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recently was informed that the community of Deline has been designated as a territorial historical site. In honour of that I’ve come up with a Sahtu hockey song that was written by Stompin’ Tom Connor. I won’t be able to sing, Mr. Speaker, but I’ll do my best.
Hello there, we’re on the air, it’s hockey night tonight. There’s confusion here, confusion there, so I’m here to set things right. On Grey Goose Lake, the snow was late, and the ice was smooth and clear. Someone roared, “Sir John scored,” the first hockey game was here.
Here’s the chorus here: Oh! The first ice hockey game, was played in Deline. And the best game you can name, is the good ol’ hockey game.
Second period! Many will say in their own strange way, hockey was born somewhere else. Stompin’ Tom didn’t know Sir John, so I write this song myself. Ontario, even Nova Scotia, tried to say their claim was true. But they were 20 years late, I got it straight, hockey was born in the Sahtu.
Chorus: Oh! The first ice hockey game, was played in Deline. And the best game you can name, is the good ol’ hockey game.
Third period! Oh, take me where on the shores of Great Bear Lake, where the record is clear, like the water and the air, the first hockey game was played. Mr. Speaker, the debate is done, let’s have some fun, let’s get on with the show. Around the Sahtu, colleagues, you can join in too, and we can all say go, Canada, go!
Chorus: Oh! The first ice hockey game, was played in Deline. And the best game you can name, is the good ol’ hockey game. He shoots, he scores! Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, go Canada go!
All right!
The Standing Committee on Social Programs recently received information on possible changes to the new Supplementary Health Benefits Program. Now that I’ve had a bit of time to consider the presentation from the Minister, I’ve got some concerns that I want to express, unlike our Olympic team.
Firstly, I appreciate the research done by the department and the data received by the committee, but even though it’s good data, it’s been selected and presented to steer people’s responses in a particular direction. The documents for review contain certain assumptions -- although the Minister calls them observations -- that are leading. It’s like the department has already determined a preferred course of action and is using these assumptions to guarantee that the responses received verify that course of action.
The questions posed in the discussion documents intended to stimulate answers from residents also follow the same pattern. They’re multiple choice questions, but the choices are limited, and again seem to indicate a predetermined course of action. What is missing is the opportunity for NWT residents, especially those due to be affected by these changes, to freely discuss options for change with the department or the Minister. Nowhere in the documents are there open-ended questions which would allow creative and innovative suggestions and ideas. That option must be provided before any decision on changes take place.
There is a clear lack of involvement of stakeholders in the research and development phase of the data on which the paper is based. The working group established by the Minister was not involved until after the data had been collected and screened for publication. They were like committee presented with only some of the data; data which steers us to certain conclusions.
The implementation date must be pushed back to April 1, 2011. The timeline proposed by the Minister is way too aggressive to allow for adequate consultation. There’s a need for more than the one set of town hall meetings currently scheduled. The first will serve to provide people with information on the proposed changes so they can properly understand them, but there must be another set of meetings after residents have had time to digest that information to hear their responses and receive input. That requires more than the one month identified in the Minister’s current schedule.
The changes to this program could have substantial impact on NWT residents. Our job demands that we take the necessary time and do it right the first time.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not going to be singing there. Good job. It’s pretty hard to cover on that, Norm. That’s awesome.
This weekend is a big weekend for all minor hockey students in Nunakput and the Beaufort-Delta. The Gwich’in Cup is upon us. We have I think probably 14 teams playing, with students all the way from Ulukhaktok and Sachs Harbour, Tuk, Inuvik, Aklavik, Fort McPherson, and Tsiigehtchic. I’d like to thank today Chief Richard Nerysoo and Mary Ross from the Gwich’in Tribal Council for putting up this good tournament for our minor hockey players.
These tournaments are an excellent opportunity where students and youth from all across the Beaufort-Delta can participate in well-organized, fast-paced sports competitions. Unlike students and youth in other parts of Canada and even in the Northwest Territories, our youth have a rare opportunity to partake in such events. Communities such as Sachs Harbour, for example, rarely have the resources and numbers to contribute to a team.
I believe this government and various ministries responsibilities, from Health and Social Services to Municipal and Community Affairs, can get proactive with our youth. Having these highly organized competition sports helps our youth in areas such as teamwork, discipline, and healthy living.
Limited organized recreational sports and the high cost of supplies, the cost of transportation for a charter out of Ulukhaktok into Inuvik is probably $6,000. That’s for probably 14 children. I think we should be looking at that. I know the Minister’s working, not working, he has done so by putting a tournament coming up in Fort McPherson this year. I really thank the Minister for that as well.
I know that our youth are healthy, they have had healthy results, and this gives us a healthy community. That’s why we can challenge our government to follow through on promises and priorities established for our youth.
I look forward to seeing all our minor hockey kids in Inuvik this weekend and all the minor hockey kids’ moms and dads. I hope everyone has a safe weekend in Inuvik.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to express some serious concern and caution to this Cabinet before us. I speak in favour of the Taltson Hydro Project, but I need to see some results. We’ve all heard about how great this project may be, and I certainly support any hydro expansion in our North. But when I talk to industry face to face, they show no interest in this project. They stall and don’t move to make any agreements with the Government of the Northwest Territories. The longer this process takes, there will be no diamond mine industry for them to extend the power to.
We need to have signed agreements somewhere and sometime soon for this Taltson project. The GNWT continues to spend millions of dollars preparing itself for this Taltson expansion, but without diamond mine agreements showing they are interested in buying this power. They tend to pay lip service to us and are they leading us on, like a carrot with a donkey.
Mr. Speaker, we must be very careful. I’ve had many expert constituents who are very familiar with the power providing services and they’ve told me that the capacity of the expanded Taltson is just not there to serve them as a customer. So who are we supplying the power to, Mr. Speaker? Mr. Speaker, they’re not interested. Why aren’t we seeing this? Because if they were, they would have ran in and signed those agreements immediately to say we would have long-term sustainable power.
Mr. Speaker, I’m all in favour of hydro development and expansion, but who are we expanding it for? Mr. Speaker, this government has worked to waive the PUB process and, yes, in all fairness, this side of the House does agree with that process, but, Mr. Speaker, I fear that we’ve all climbed into the barrel and we’re all going over the waterfall yet again on another project.
Mr. Speaker, with one mine on the tipping point now towards closure, again, who are we supplying the power for? Mr. Speaker, I’ve raised the issue of providing it to Avalon, which we know is going to be there for a least 100 years. That means they could be a customer two, three or maybe even four times the total capacity of what the existing diamond mines are there for.
So, Mr. Speaker, in short, we’ve all heard the term “show me the beef;” we’ve all heard the term “show me the money;” well, show me the signed agreements before we go too far on this project that we can’t come back. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the community status of Lutselk'e. Mr. Speaker, Lutselk'e is governed by the Lutselk'e Dene First Nation and, according to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, the Lutselk'e Dene First Nation is a designated authority for delivery of municipal services.
Mr. Speaker, Lutselk'e is with the Akaitcho Territory Government. The Akaitcho Territory Government is in land negotiations with the Government of Canada, so as you can imagine, there are complex factors involved here with regard to community governance. On the one hand the community of Lutselk'e does not want to give up the status of a First Nation government. On the other hand the department responsible for funding and supporting municipal governments, MACA, seems intent on holding steadfast to the terms and conditions of its NWT Act and less on trying to work with the community and their input for municipal governance. Mr. Speaker, this can be perceived as one government telling another government what to do and, worse, telling them what to think.
Mr. Speaker, Lutselk'e is in need of additional funds to deliver its municipal services. The community suffers from a lack of infrastructure and has mud and dust issues. A drainage study is needed to open the door for many infrastructure and municipal projects. However, the department will not increase its contribution to the community until it converts over to a hamlet status. This does not make sense to the community leadership.
Mr. Speaker, the community does appreciate the position of the government’s cautious approach to this issue, but at the same time, they don’t understand why the government can’t be flexible on the issue; that is, to amend the NWT Act to allow First Nation governments to receive similar funding levels received by hamlets. I agree with the community and feel that if the department were to consider this, that Lutselk'e would make an ideal community to implement something like this. It is a smaller community with limited scope of community services and only has one governing body, the Lutselk'e Dene First Nations. Today I will ask questions of the Minister of MACA on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about something today. I know we’re celebrating our youth and all the good news stories, but Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about something today that, I think, needs to be brought up in a public forum and we need to create public awareness.
Mr. Speaker, many of us are parents and we do everything we can to protect our children, but, Mr. Speaker, at a certain age youth can be a danger to themselves. It’s a time when they are trying to assert power and control over their own decisions, and if we can keep them safe and provide guidance about wise boundaries to get them through these years, more often than not they will eventually see the dangers themselves and will impose their own boundaries on their activities and where they go and what they do.
Mr. Speaker, today I don’t want to speak about those threats. I want to speak about threats and dangers that are out there that are outside of a person’s ability to protect themselves if they are not aware of this. Mr. Speaker, there’s very little dialogue in our communities in the public, an awareness of something that is called, it’s a drug called Rohypnol and it is a date rape drug. If you speak to people in law enforcement in the Northwest Territories -- or anywhere in Canada, I’m sure -- they will tell you that this very little spoken of drug is something that is prevalent and it is used. Mr. Speaker, the insidious thing about this drug is that it can be dropped into a glass or into a drink and it’s affects leave the victim with little or no recollection of anything that happened to them while the drug had its effect; thus giving the victim a very low level of opportunity to give evidence against their perpetrators.
Mr. Speaker, these are not easy things for victims, then, subsequently to talk about and the people who would be able to warn others sometimes carry with them the stigma and the harm of such an event, which is life-changing, Mr. Speaker, and sometimes often never getting closure to this because it is very, very difficult for the law enforcement and for our courts to prosecute and successfully bring people to justice who would do this.
So, Mr. Speaker, later today I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services or the Minister of Justice what efforts our government could be involved in to bring awareness to this drug that is very difficult to charge people who perpetrate this type of activity on other people and to warn our young people about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seeing that this is Education Week, I wanted to speak today about educators. I have two schools located in my riding -- N.J. Macpherson and Ecole St. Joseph School -- both of which provide excellent learning environments for children in this city. Mr. Speaker, I would put these two schools up against any school in southern Canada for quality of education.
I want to thank all the educators at these two great schools for all the work they do on educating and growing our students. Also, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the administration of both Ecole St. Joseph and N.J. Macpherson for allowing me to host my constituency meetings at their schools. Both schools offer a great atmosphere for hosting these meetings.
Mr. Speaker, teachers have such a profound impact on people, and oftentimes you don’t realize how much of an impact teachers have had until you’re an adult yourself and you start looking back and reflecting on your time in school. I want to thank some of the teachers in my past that have helped me become the person I am today: Mr. Bob Dawe, Mr. Tony Florio, Ms. Leah Von Hagen, Mr. John Bowden, and Mr. Tony Campbell; our teachers I owe a great deal of gratitude to.
To the teachers and educators and the school boards around this Territory, I’d like to say thank you for all you do for our students and for us each and every day. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Along with my colleague, I, too, rise to recognize Education Week. I’d like to speak about the contribution and dedication of the teachers in small and remote communities in Nahendeh and other communities throughout the Northwest Territories.
In comments about Education Week, the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment stated that education is a collective responsibility, and rightly so. Parents, volunteers, the community, the media, education authorities, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and many others contribute to the success of our students.
However, I also think that there’s a special place in heaven for teachers in small communities…
---Laughter
…who dedicate themselves to providing the best education they can to their students, with limited facilities and resources. These teachers can be isolated and do not always have opportunities to share and exchange curriculum ideas with other teachers on a day-to-day basis. Although computers and Internet access has contributed to many resources to small communities, a small school does not have specialized music or physical education and program staff like larger schools. The teacher’s job is broader and demands a personality who can see possibilities and takes advantage of opportunities.
There are many activities in the school in Nahendeh that help students to learn how to fiddle, how to hunt and trap. Contributions to the community are also supported. For example, Bompas Elementary held a skate-a-thon for charity. As well, students raise money to go on interesting trips that broaden their knowledge of the world. These opportunities increase students’ confidence and help them develop organizational skills. Everyone is pleased to hear about the initiatives students show; however, the teachers are there in the background encouraging and empowering their students, giving them the opportunity to shine.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Mackenzie Regional Youth Conference in Fort Simpson this week. Students and teachers from our small communities got together to learn and experience new things from arts to sports and academics. Good luck and I hope they had a great week.
This statement recognizes the teachers in our small and remote communities...
Mr. Menicoche, your time for your Member’s statement has expired. Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Tuesday I made a Member’s statement and asked some questions concerning colon cancer screening in the Northwest Territories. I am frustrated that the Minister seems unwilling to meet with the Stanton Foundation to work towards real partnerships and potential solutions. However, as I indicated at the time, I am supportive of the Department of Health and Social Services’ direction to encourage residents over 50 to get screened every one or two years. Given the high rate of colon cancer in the Northwest Territories, this is the right thing to do.
Given that the health system is going to be doing this anyway, we need to make sure that it is ready for the increased demand on the system and that residents are regularly updated on their progress through the system and its current delays.
I have talked with a number of residents who have indicated that they are frustrated with the follow-up related to booked or potentially booked colon cancer screening. There are many people who are not intimidated by the health care system and will actively pursue their screenings. These people don’t get missed, as they make sure that they don’t get missed.
Unfortunately, there are a large number of people who are intimidated by the health care system and don’t follow up as rigorously as others; they rely on the system. Often these people can be overlooked or continually dropped or deferred from their screening exams. The individuals I talked with indicate that they aren’t contacted for extensive periods of time and receive no updates with respect to bookings. They are frustrated.
Missed appointments cost the system money. As a system we need to be proactive and conduct regular follow-up calls and provide reminders and updates to residents in line for colon cancer screening. I strongly encourage the Minister to have her department and Stanton review their processes for keeping clients informed, updated, and reminded about their screening appointments. As a system, we must own some responsibility for patients missing their appointments to do everything we can to ensure that appointments aren’t unnecessarily missed or forgotten. As indicated earlier, missed appointments are expensive on the system and a little bit of regular contact would go a long way to reducing the number of missed appointments.
At the appropriate time I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m happy to see all the green in the House today. Everybody knows I’m a green guy on the inside too. Go, Brendan, go!
A Weledeh business that has provided local food security through responsible harvesting of sustainable resources and years of local employment is passing into environmentally responsible hands. The story about new owners taking over the business of Archie Buckley selling our top quality Great Slave Lake whitefish and other fish to the community and, they hope, the world is spreading.
I met with Brian Abbott, one of the new owners, in the fall when he proudly shared his plans to make a green business even greener in every way. Mr. Abbott will continue fishing the rich stocks for dockside and in-town sales. He’s upgraded with high-efficiency propane refrigeration, a biomass boiler for heat, added some solar power, and will be harvesting ice in the winter, drawing down his ice lockers as he processes his summer fish. He’s upgraded his systems for purification of water used in fish processing and plans to use every bit of the fish: the best parts for people, scraps for dog and cat food, and the rest for organic agriculture-quality fertilizer.
As Mr. Abbott has reported to have said: “This is an opportunity you don’t get anywhere else in the world. A fishery like this with great quality and it’s dormant? We’re going to create a world-class product.”
Mr. Abbott has some hurdles to cross, including getting adequate harvest quotas and government inspection service for export markets. I hope our ITI officials are knocking on his door to offer their help.
I understand the Fishermen’s Federation has voted in favour of the Northwest Territories opting out of the federal Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. Fishers have complained for years that the FFMC is their biggest obstacle to prosperity. I commend the Minister of ITI for any enabling action he may have taken to facilitate this discussion and for taking the next steps.
This business and a revitalized fisheries industry is the kind of business that will see us through the years as megaprojects boom and bust. I applaud Mr. Abbott and the Fishermen’s Federation for taking the future into their hands. They deserve every bit of support that we can give.
I will be asking the Minister of ITI questions with respect to these topics.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Modern land claim agreements are the main instrument to deal with land, water, management, and to ensure that the wildlife management is managed through a system of land and water that is regulated under the Mackenzie Valley Resources Management Act, federal legislation. These management arrangements were established through the land claims agreements to give First Nations people an opportunity not only to have a say in the management of the herd, but have an opportunity to manage the herd internally. Through the wildlife management boards and the land claims agreements, we have established the Inuvialuit Games Council, the Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board, the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board and the Wek’eezhii Renewable Resources Board, and they are the fundamental instruments to ensure that management of wildlife in their geographical areas. Included in that is a joint arrangement for the conservation boards to work in conjunction with each other to deal with herds that travel outside their boundaries, whether it’s the Bluenose herd, the Porcupine caribou herd, or the barren-ground caribou herds in the Northwest Territories and elsewhere.
One of the main reasons for the establishment of these boards was to ensure the residents and the harvesters in those areas have a system of consultation to be informed on any decision-making process so they are not left out of the system. They are part of the system, they have systems in place for how decisions will be made and they have a format for public consultation. They have a system to make decisions.
The system that was used between the Gwich’in, Inuvialuit and Sahtu regarding the Bluenose caribou herd, a species questioned about its declining numbers, they worked together between the three land claims organizations to formulate a conservation plan on how they were going to be able to deal with the restrictions in certain areas for harvesting the herds, look at measures such as the number of caribou that can be harvested, using a tag system, and allowing their harvesters to carry out their responsibilities.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
These conservation measures for the Bluenose-West herd were achieved through consultation, dialogue with the harvesters and dialogue with communities where they took the time and made an attempt to find a resolution to this problem coming to an agreement by all parties.
With regard to the situation we see here in the North Slave, it looks like that system is not in place or hasn’t even been considered. For some reason the Minister made a decision which overrode the political structure and the process of the Tlicho Land Claim Agreement to use that instrument, which is the fundamental instrument to deal with wildlife management in the Tlicho area and for a herd that has implications for other people.
At the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of ENR questions about the conservation of caribou.
Colleagues, I would like to draw the attention of Members to the presence of Ms. Elaine Keenan-Bengts, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Keenan-Bengts to the House today. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize some very important people here in the gallery today. First, Jenni Bruce, the president of Northwest Territories Tourism and general manager of the Chateau Nova; Larry Jacquard, secretary, Northwest Territories Tourism and director of sales for the Yellowknife Inn; Ms. Kelly Kaylo, principal of K2 Communications and Consulting, co-chair of the Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee; as well as my wife, Melody, and my youngest grandson, Cooper McLeod.
