Debates of October 25, 2004 (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of RWED. Mr. Speaker, I’d like the Minister to provide this House with an update on the Protected Areas Strategy in light of the filing of the application of the Mackenzie gas pipeline that there’s land that needs to be protected in the region. Can the Minister provide the House with an update on the Protected Areas Strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member has indicated, the filing of the EIS is another important milestone for the pipeline project, and we’ve always said that it is important and this is why we support the Protected Areas Strategy currently, financially and in support to the secretariat. But it’s important to have protected areas established and we’re working toward doing that. This is a three-way partnership with some ENGOs and the federal government. We are trying to find the money in our government to fund our portion of the Protected Areas Strategy -- I think it’s $1.5 million over five years -- and I’ve set out a plan and I’m going before FMBS with a submission very shortly to make the case that we need to find that money. We’re also, obviously, waiting on the federal government to commit their full funding underneath the Protected Areas Strategy, and to date they haven’t done that. We’ve always said that we would come to the table with our money when the federal government was fully committed. At this point we’re sensing some urgency and we’re not sure we can wait until the federal government has identified all of their funds. So we will have that discussion as a Cabinet very shortly, but obviously there is a requirement for the federal government to step to the plate with the lion’s share of the money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what strategy is our government going to use to ensure that the federal government does come to the plate to get the ball rolling in terms of protecting our areas in the Northwest Territories? I’m asking the Minister what type of strategy we have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We continue to make the case to our federal counterparts that this is a priority and we believe support for development initiatives up and down the valley will hinge on federal support for PAS. I think that’s true. You’ve seen quite a bit of lobbying from ENGOs who believe the federal government has to do more in this regard. So between ourselves and the ENGOs, we continue to press the case to the federal Ministers responsible that this is indeed a priority and this is something that needs to be addressed right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister also ensure that the communities along the route who are looking at the Protected Areas Strategy, the communities that are in the land claims, that are following the land claims agreements in terms of the Protected Areas Strategy? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope I got the nature of the question. The PAS is, in fact, grassroots driven. It’s really up to communities to identify areas that they think are culturally sensitive or natural or cultural areas that they feel are special and indeed need protection. So we rely on communities to identify those and then the various partners in the PAS all combine to make sure that those areas are, in fact, protected from future development. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason why I say this is that the federal government sometimes puts the squeeze on the communities, you know. There’s a time frame to do some really decent work in terms of the Protected Areas Strategy. So I’m asking the Minister if he could ensure that the Protected Areas Strategy deserves the quality and the work that it presents itself to the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 298-15(3): Status Of The Protected Areas Strategy

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to make the case to the federal government that this is a priority for northerners, and we would acknowledge that although there’s been a lot of good work done by the partners over the past five years and we’re in the fifth year of implementation, we have yet to protect a single area. There are interim areas, there are areas that have been identified for protection, but we haven’t, in fact, done this and we see this as, to date, a failing of the work of both our government and the federal government and the ENGOs. So obviously we have to move forward clearly. We have to fund the strategy, the $17.8 million approximately, and make sure that we actually, in fact, start to protect some of these very sensitive, special, natural and cultural areas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.