Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 18-17(5), asked by Mr. Bromley on June 4, 2014, to the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, regarding resources spent on Wildlife Act consultations.
It is difficult to separate the amount of money spent on development of regulations from funds spent on the development of the act itself as both processes occurred during the same fiscal year and costs and accounting for each organization are covered under a single contribution agreement. With that in mind, I offer the following estimates of expenses since the act was passed in November 2013.
Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) provided approximately $55,000 to Aboriginal governments for participation in two face-to-face meetings and two teleconferences with the Wildlife Act Working Group (WAWG). This group is made of up approximately 35 people from across the Northwest Territories. Most of the funding went to cover travel, accommodation and honoraria costs and a legal review of regulations to ensure consistency with Aboriginal and treaty rights and land claims rights and processes. The next WAWG meeting will be in July 2014.
ENR provided about $8,000 to wildlife co-management boards for their WAWG participation. The majority of these funds went to cover travel, accommodation and honoraria expenses.
ENR provided approximately $20,000 to members of Stakeholders Wildlife Act Advisory Group (SWAAG) to cover costs to review materials and participate in two face-to-face meetings. Most of this funding went to cover honoraria and some limited travel as most members reside in Yellowknife. SWAAG members agreed that they have had adequate input into the regulations that required consultation and public engagement over the summer, and their next face-to-face meeting should be in October after public engagement and consultation is complete.
ENR spent approximately $15,000 on related items including room rentals, catering, material printing, et cetera.
The amount of staff time spent working and consulting with various groups to develop the regulations cannot be broken down by group as the majority of staff time is spent researching and developing concept papers, preparing and reviewing drafting instructions, and drafting regulations that are shared equally with all groups. The same staff also participates in each of the meetings identified above. With that in mind, ENR has approximately 3.5 full-time person years dedicated to this project with additional ongoing input from renewable resource officers and regional superintendents through the NWT, communications specialists, legal counsel from the Department of Justice, and staff from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. In addition, the Department of Justice has provided a dedicated drafter for the development of the regulations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
