Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The renewal of the Wildlife Act is a high priority for this government. Updates to existing legislation are long overdue and additional provisions to modernize the act are equally needed. The renewal of the Wildlife Act has been a long journey, a trail that hasn’t ended yet.
First Nations governments have lingering concerns about how this legislation, when passed, will affect their traditional lands and how they will be able to manage the resources that have sustained their lives for centuries. In spite of assurances that the rights guaranteed to the Aboriginal people in the Canadian Constitution will prevail over the act, members of our First Nations communities remain concerned about how their rights will be upheld.
One of the greatest areas of conflict when the Wildlife Act was introduced in the last Assembly was membership in the Conference on Wildlife Management. If we want a stable and effective wildlife management system, this source of disagreement must be resolved before legislation is passed. Our approach to serious issues affecting wildlife will only be as strong as the consensus reached among stakeholders on basic wildlife management structure. That emotion will also impact wildlife management.
I caution Cabinet that many people in the Northwest Territories still feel that the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle and the new Wildlife Act are undermining their treaty and Aboriginal rights. What we can do right now is agree to work together.
The Government of the Northwest Territories has deferred the introduction of the new act for a few more months in order to continue to address some of the divisive issues in the legislation that was introduced in the 16th Assembly. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted further consultation this summer and has made an effort to meaningfully engage all stakeholders. The general public and, in particular, First Nations must be fully engaged in the development of this important act.
Members on this side of this House look forward to working with Cabinet to pass a sound piece of legislation that works in the best interest of wildlife and the rights and interests of all people in the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
