Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Last week, the Minster had unrolled the development of the fishing strategy that had been in the making for some time. It basically heralds the initiative of this government in trying to revitalize the fishing industry on Great Slave Lake that has been around for about 70 years. My question is to the Minister: can the Minister explain the scope of the fishing strategy; in particular, how the matter of jurisdictions in the role of First Nations were addressed in the development of the strategy? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fishing strategy that we tabled in the House last week all started way back in the last Assembly, all the way back to 2012, with the Economic Opportunities Strategy. Going around and across the Northwest Territories, with engagement with all Aboriginal leaders across the Northwest Territories and the citizens of the Northwest Territories, it was identified that, specifically, there was a need to revitalize the fishing strategy for Great Slave Lake.
With that, moving forward, there were a number of meetings held in all the regions across the Northwest Territories. Along with that, as well, they had three particular meetings with the GSLAC committee, which is the Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee, which has all the representatives around the lake that used the lake for the fishing industry. That would be the Tlicho, the Dehcho, the Akaitcho, the Northwest Territory Metis Nation, sports fishers, lodge owners, and government departments. They engaged with them on three separate occasions on the strategy moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My second question is: is this driven upon the Minister's statement? He stated very clearly that there were meetings in the region, so can the Minister explain the level of consultation and whether those meetings were held at a ministerial level, or a senior official level, where senior officials from this department engage people and stakeholders in those meetings?
Depending on if there was an economic opportunity strategy or the fishing strategy, there would have been various departments, and they would have been senior officials.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my other question is: in terms of trying to understand the roles of this government and the federal government, in light of the recent transfer of responsibility of devolution from Ottawa to Yellowknife in terms of lands and public resources, where is the GNWT in terms of its responsibility regarding the Great Slave Lake and the fisheries stock that we have here? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The initiative to consider section 35 rights on the Great Slave Lake for fishing is a responsibility of the federal government. The territorial government looks to how we use that resource and how do we move it forward for economic opportunities for residents in the Northwest Territories, and that is what we have done, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question verges on the first question that I asked, and I don’t feel that the Minister answered my question, in whether the fishing strategy has a functional responsibility and whether, indeed, it addresses the very fundamental issue of the jurisdictions in the role of the First Nations. Would the Minister please answer that question? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I answered this question. We took the opportunity when we were out doing consultation. The responsibility of section 35 is the federal government’s, as to do with the Great Slave Lake, to consult with Aboriginal governments and peoples. We went through the Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee, which has all the users around the lake, which includes, as I said, all the Aboriginal governments that use the lake. We used the opening for that advisory board to do our consultation.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
