I look forward to all four questions today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will try to make them very short with maybe a quick explanation and some quick bullets after that. While travelling into the Deh Cho, I’ve heard Aboriginal people say they’d like set aside lands protected and trespassing raised as an issue. Recently I was in the Sahtu and Aboriginal people told me there that they want trespass protection on their lands. I’ve been in Yellowknife and other areas, and whether it’s private business or even public lands, trespassing has turned out to be an issue. My Member’s statement said enough. I’ll just ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs what is he prepared to do regarding trespass legislation that can help people all around the North to deal with this type of problem.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is an issue across the Northwest Territories. I agree with the Member; there are other mechanisms in place to deal with this particular issue. I take the Member’s point, though, on the need for trespass legislation. I have reviewed trespassing legislation across the country and in many of the other jurisdictions it is administered by the Department of Justice. Seeing that, I’ve had a discussion with our Justice Minister and he has committed to me that he will have his department have a look at the opportunity of trespass legislation, or we’d have to weigh that, again, against all our other priorities as far as legislation goes.
Is that a commitment to investigate this problem about seeing what’s possible, working with his partners at the Department of Justice?
The commitment was to look at it and see if there was anything we can do.
